Cherokee Nation leaders, Miss Cherokee titleholders spotlight cultural preservation and youth leadership
June 20, 2026 | Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma
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Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. and Deputy Chief Brian Warner joined host Jen Loren Dagwado on the Cherokee Nation program Cherokees Wherever We Are to profile the Miss Cherokee scholarship and youth-ambassador program and its role in cultural preservation.
Chief Hoskin said Miss Cherokee has “stood as a symbol of Cherokee pride, leadership, and cultural continuity,” and described titleholders as ambassadors who speak Cherokee, share traditional stories and represent the Nation at events on and off the reservation. “Being Miss Cherokee is more than just a title. It's a commitment to both cultural preservation and community service,” he said.
The program, which the episode described as a mid-20th-century tradition (speakers variously referenced the mid-1950s, the 1960s and called it “70-plus years”), combines a scholarship component with public-facing duties. Deputy Chief Brian Warner interviewed current Miss Cherokee Hannah Nugent, who said her platform is “cultural preservation through reconnection” and described visiting at-large meetings and schools as core parts of the role. “Growing up, I kind of struggled a lot with my Cherokee identity,” Nugent said, adding that her year as Miss Cherokee has allowed her to share language and stories and to help others reconnect with Cherokee culture.
Nugent, 21, told the program she is from Lost City, Oklahoma, is studying information systems at Northeastern State University and hopes to return to work for the Cherokee Nation after graduation. She described an outreach week in Joplin, Missouri, where a second- or third-grade listener's close attention to a story convinced her that her presentations were making an impact. “They really are listening to me,” she said.
Nugent also spoke about traditional music, saying she has played the flute for 11 years and was taught a piece called “Orphan Child” by elder Victor Wildcat, who gifted her his own flute. Former Miss Cherokees Kristen Thomas and Jalisa Pittman described the duties and long-term effects of the role: Thomas said her experience in Little Miss Cherokee and later Miss Cherokee helped set her life path, and Pittman recalled family continuity, noting her mother competed in the 1970s.
Speakers outlined practical outreach responsibilities: Miss Cherokee is often asked to attend community meetings organized by 17 tribal council members across the Nation's 14-county jurisdiction, to serve elders, visit schools and travel to at-large meetings nationwide. Former titleholders emphasized the program's sisterhood, networking and scholarship connections as foundations for later careers and ongoing service to the Cherokee Nation.
The episode closed with a traditional storytelling segment by former Miss Cherokee Whitney Roach, who told a Cherokee tale explaining “why the possum's tail is bare.”
No formal policy actions or votes were taken during the broadcast; the program presented the Miss Cherokee role as a cultural and leadership initiative that combines scholarship support with public outreach. The show ended with a Cherokee valediction and music.
Chief Hoskin said Miss Cherokee has “stood as a symbol of Cherokee pride, leadership, and cultural continuity,” and described titleholders as ambassadors who speak Cherokee, share traditional stories and represent the Nation at events on and off the reservation. “Being Miss Cherokee is more than just a title. It's a commitment to both cultural preservation and community service,” he said.
The program, which the episode described as a mid-20th-century tradition (speakers variously referenced the mid-1950s, the 1960s and called it “70-plus years”), combines a scholarship component with public-facing duties. Deputy Chief Brian Warner interviewed current Miss Cherokee Hannah Nugent, who said her platform is “cultural preservation through reconnection” and described visiting at-large meetings and schools as core parts of the role. “Growing up, I kind of struggled a lot with my Cherokee identity,” Nugent said, adding that her year as Miss Cherokee has allowed her to share language and stories and to help others reconnect with Cherokee culture.
Nugent, 21, told the program she is from Lost City, Oklahoma, is studying information systems at Northeastern State University and hopes to return to work for the Cherokee Nation after graduation. She described an outreach week in Joplin, Missouri, where a second- or third-grade listener's close attention to a story convinced her that her presentations were making an impact. “They really are listening to me,” she said.
Nugent also spoke about traditional music, saying she has played the flute for 11 years and was taught a piece called “Orphan Child” by elder Victor Wildcat, who gifted her his own flute. Former Miss Cherokees Kristen Thomas and Jalisa Pittman described the duties and long-term effects of the role: Thomas said her experience in Little Miss Cherokee and later Miss Cherokee helped set her life path, and Pittman recalled family continuity, noting her mother competed in the 1970s.
Speakers outlined practical outreach responsibilities: Miss Cherokee is often asked to attend community meetings organized by 17 tribal council members across the Nation's 14-county jurisdiction, to serve elders, visit schools and travel to at-large meetings nationwide. Former titleholders emphasized the program's sisterhood, networking and scholarship connections as foundations for later careers and ongoing service to the Cherokee Nation.
The episode closed with a traditional storytelling segment by former Miss Cherokee Whitney Roach, who told a Cherokee tale explaining “why the possum's tail is bare.”
No formal policy actions or votes were taken during the broadcast; the program presented the Miss Cherokee role as a cultural and leadership initiative that combines scholarship support with public outreach. The show ended with a Cherokee valediction and music.
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