Beyond Buckskin Baby Contest Winners!

The results are in! We have the winners for the first-ever Beyond Buckskin Baby Contest. Dubbed the "Oh Fer Cyuute" contest - all of the submissions were absolutely adorable and have brought countless smiles to faces throughout the world.

We had 189 submissions, and thousands of votes! Hundreds of comments and hundreds of shares - thank you to everyone who helped make this first contest a great success.

Finding a winner from all the amazing image submissions was no easy task and several of you voted for many contestants (I voted for them all!). Click here to see all the beautiful photos of our little ones (aka, The future leaders!).

Top 10 | Our First Beyond Buckskin Baby Contest

The first-ever Beyond Buckskin baby contest is in full swing and inching towards the finale - voting ends Sunday, June 23 at 11:59pm CST.

180 adorable babies have been entered into the competition so far, and the top ten are below. There is still time to enter your baby into the contest, or to cast your vote. Vote by accessing the official contest album and clicking 'Like' on a picture that you think should win. And, if you should ever find yourself in a grumpy mood, scroll through all the cuteness to lighten your spirits.

Beyond Buckskin 'Oh Fer Cyuute' Baby Contest!

Introducing the first-ever "Beyond Buckskin 'Oh Fer Cyuute' Baby Contest!" (and you simply must say this contest name in a suuuper thick North Dakota accent!!)

We are looking for CUTE BABIES! Yes, it is a contest and there will be prizes, but in reality, we all win because we get to put our lil ones in the spotlight and gush over how blessed we are! (PS I didn't have a promo picture to use for the contest, so I used this picture of me when I was a baby - sounds narcissistic, but it's not I swear!) Read below for rules and prizes.

The Cutest Indian Baby in All of... Yosemite

Yosemite postcard, ca. 1910s-1920s.

Today I'd like to share a special post about baby shows at Yosemite National Park during the first half of the 20th Century. In this guest post by Mary Klann (exclusive for Beyond Buckskin), we learn how Baby Contests in the past were used simultaneously as assimilation and preservation techniques. On the one hand, the US government issued campaigns to ensure children were being raised 'properly' according to popular American concepts of hygiene. On the other hand, Native mothers used these events as opportunities to continue artistic practices and perpetuate cultural ideas associated with valuing children in the community.

Interestingly, the cradleboard would take center stage as an item that could disqualify a baby in one contest, or send him home with a big first place prize in another.

Flashback Friday | Alaskan Cuteness

If you've ever taken a class with me, you know that I always stick in images of itty bitty cuteness to keep us all awake and alive throughout the lectures.

But the fact of the matter is that babies, tots, and children play a significant role in Native communities.

They are treasured, and even if we are broke-ass poor, they are spoiled with oodles of attention and love and affection.

Alaska Native Baby Contest

I love these pictures. They are from the Native Baby Contest held at the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. It's a popular event, and parents can enter their babies to compete in a fashion show of sorts. The winner is the baby whose regalia is deemed best by judges, but I have no idea how they pick winners, they all look so adorable.

8-month old Siena Marie Reid of Buckland sleeps in her parka during the Native Baby Contest at the 50th World Eskimo Indian Olympics Thursday morning, July 21, 2011 at the Carlson Center. "She'll sleep through anything," mother Forest Rose Walker said. Eric Engman/News-Miner

13-month old Jerzey Lane of Fairbanks is displayed by her mother Sam Lane during the Native Baby Contest at the 50th World Eskimo Indian Olympics Thursday morning, July 21, 2011 at the Carlson Center. Eric Engman/News-Miner

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Tiny tots square off in WEIO Native Baby Contest