- Details
- By Chickasaw Nation Media
Three talented young ladies are set to be crowned Chickasaw royalty during the 2025-2026 Chickasaw Princess Pageant 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29. The event will be hosted at the Ataloa Theater in the Hallie Brown Ford Fine Arts Center on the East Central University Campus.
The pageant may be viewed virtually at AnnualMeeting.Chickasaw.net and on Facebook at Facebook.com/
Chickasaw Princesses are ambassadors for the Chickasaw Nation and have the honor of serving at tribal events and activities throughout the year. Chickasaw Princesses have a history going back generations within the Chickasaw Nation.
The pageant has three age categories for competing participants. These include Chickasaw Princess (ages 17-25), Chickasaw Jr. Princess (ages 12-16) and Little Miss Chickasaw (ages 7-11).
Participants of the Chickasaw Princess Pageant are judged on interviews, talent, poise, traditional Chickasaw dress, traditional greetings and responses to questions. Winners will receive a crown, sash, trophy and gifts to prepare them for the upcoming year.
The Chickasaw Princess Pageant is a part of the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival, a time of reunion, fellowship and cultural renewal. A complete schedule of events and locations is available online at AnnualMeeting.Chickasaw.net. The event schedule is subject to change.
More Stories Like This
50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal RelationsNative American Day Celebrated in Several States on Friday, Sept. 26th
Osage Nation Reclaims St. Louis’s Last Surviving Indigenous Mound
Winnebago Challenges NAGPRA Ruling in Effort to Reclaim Children’s Remains
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher