Local teens recount 'Miss Cherokee' experience
Cherokee – Each year, the Cherokee community hosts a pageant to crown a representative for the Cherokee Tribal Nation.
Miss Cherokee serves as a cultural ambassador, promoting government, language, history and culture. She is a role model and embodies the finest qualities of a young Cherokee woman during her year of service.
It has been several years since a Snowbird Cherokee woman has participated in the pageant. This year, Snowbird was well represented with Tayen Bridges in the Miss Cherokee Division and Katie-Lyn Gross in the Teen Miss Cherokee Division. Both women did an excellent job representing their culture and the Snowbird community.
Entering the pageant requires a great deal of commitment. They are required to spend long hours preparing and it is quite costly.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians hosts multiple pageants for different age groups, including Miss Cherokee, Teen Miss Cherokee, Junior Miss Cherokee and Little Miss Cherokee. Pageants take place during the week of the annual Cherokee Fair.
This isn’t a beauty pageant: it is so much more. It is a platform for young women to serve as cultural ambassadors for their tribe. The event is formally a "leadership competition."
The Miss Cherokee Pageant began as a "Miss Cherokee Holiday" title in 1957, with the first titleholder being Linda Burrows. The name was changed to "Miss Cherokee" in 1962, with Ramona Collier being the first to be crowned. The pageant serves to honor and remind the young Cherokee women of their heritage – and how it has evolved over time. The pageant is organized by the Cherokee Nation's Education Services and includes a scholarship for the winner.
Tayen Bridges
The daughter of Jeannie Welch, Bridges decided to run after last year’s pageant when only one participant entered. She entered on a whim, but soon realized the significance and the importance of representing her tribe.
“Some didn’t grow up in the tradition. Their families were not speakers," Bridges said. "My grandfather Leland Welch was a speaker. His family only spoke Cherokee in their home. When the Cherokee Day School closed and the Cherokee were sent to Robbinsville, it was hard for the kids. My mom remembers how hard it was to speak two languages."
Bridges has been learning the language for the past two years. She hopes to one day be a fluent speaker. She continues to learn such things as how to tie the belt worn by Cherokee women. Tying the belt to the right signifies the woman is single, while a left-tied belt signals marriage. She commends her strong support system for helping her to prepare.
Three types of apparel were required: business wear, talent and traditional wear. Her sister Tylie Bridges made her ribbon skirt for the business wear. She also received helped for the finger-woven belts for traditional wear; the construction of her feather cape; her Chemise dress for talent; and linen trade shirts. She was extremely proud to wear the traditional moccasins she had constructed, along with a wool-wrap skirt and leggings donated by Snowbird Library, and she carried her grandmother’s basket in the traditional wear.
Bridges was first runner-up in the pageant and received the Miss Congeniality Award.
“I will run again," said Bridges. “So many helped. My community really came together. I’m still a little starstruck at everyone who helped me. I am proud to represent Snowbird.
“We show up."
Katie-Lyn Gross
Katie-Lyn Gross participated in the Teen Miss Cherokee. Gross is a senior at Robbinsville High School and the daughter of Aaron and Paige Gross.
Gross decided to run in this year’s Teen Miss Cherokee Pageant after a cousin who had won previously encouraged her to run. Most of her cousins who live in Cherokee have participated in the pageants and they wanted her to be a part of the family legacy.
“I didn’t want to look back and have regrets for not representing my family and the Snowbird Community while I had the opportunity," Gross shared.
Gross also commended her family for being such a strong support for her. Her aunt Missy Crowe and nieces Trae Crowe and Kayla Crowe Williams served as pageant coaches, preparing Gross for the interview; stage presence; how to carry herself; and get out of her comfort zone.
In apparel, she wore a pink suit in honor of breast cancer. The sleeves and pants included brown, tan and white ribbons. Trae created a beautiful, beaded medallion to accent the suit. In talent, she wore a linen trade shirt with a petticoat skirt and a finger-woven belt. She also wore moccasins that were made by her mother Paige. She danced the Peace Pipe and Corn Dance with partner Kheyton Swimmer, accompanied by Frankie Bottchenbough – who sang and performed the music on drums and rattles to their performance.
For traditional wear, Gross wore a white feather cape made by Missy and worn previously by her cousin Trae when she received the Miss Cherokee title. She wore a black trade shirt, a pink, blue and white finger-woven belt and a wool-wrap skirt with white, blue, pink and gold ribbon. She wore moccasins she had made herself. She carried a basket that once belonged to her great-grandmother Katie Panther.
Gross chose “Gadugi” as her topic of interest. “Gadugi” means giving back to the community and “coming together for all."
That is what Gross has tried to do throughout her life. She honored her aunt Jennifer Wachacha for the lessons she learned while being a caregiver for Wachacha when she experienced breast cancer.
Gross learned the Sela Legend from Berniece Bottchenbaugh. She learned to introduce herself in the Cherokee Language.
“I learned a lot about myself," Gross said. “I hope that other girls from Snowbird will not be afraid to put themselves out there. It’s all worth it. I left the pageant empty-handed, but with everything at the same time.”
"I will run again," Gross added. "I learned so much and I don’t want to forget it.
“I want to inspire others in Snowbird to participate and help to close the gap between Cherokee and Snowbird communities."