Local team competes in Native youth leadership event

“Heights of Education” saw 160 youngsters from eight area tribes gathered on the Northern Oklahoma College Tonkawa campus for the fourth annual Native American Youth Leadership Day

Wearing color-coded T-shirts indicating their tribal affiliations, the mid-high through high school students accompanied by tribal educators and sponsors from the Kaw, Osage, Pawnee and Citizen Potawatomi nations and the Iowa of Oklahoma, Otoe-Missouria, Ponca and Tonkawa tribes spent the day preparing to meet their career goals and to become leaders in their communities.

Chris Hill, Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma educational specialist and Leadership Day facilitator, introduced Daisia Miller, 2014 Miss Iowa Tribal Princess, and 2014 Osage Nation Princess Katelyn Pipestem. Pipestem interpreted the Lord’s Prayer in Native American sign language.

Native American Youth Leadership Awards recognizing students for their leadership, academic achievement and contribution to tribal culture were presented by the Leadership Planning Committee. Recipients were Sadie LittleCreek, recognized by the Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma and Potawatomi Nation; Angela Stout, Kaw Nation; Cydney Atsye, Otoe-Missouria Tribe; Lance Harden, Jr., Osage Nation; Justin Townsend, Pawnee Nation; Tyrese Hinman, Ponca Tribe; and Rustin Martin, Tonkawa Tribe. Hinman received a 32-inch flat screen television from the Ponca Tribe in recognition of his volunteer work with the language program and film crew at White Eagle.

A fierce Intertribal Challenge quiz bowl competition concluded the day. The Osage Nation team showed the greatest knowledge of current events, history and tribal language and culture to win the traveling trophy, a $150 pizza party and bragging rights.