By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
One Feather Asst. Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – If you have ever seen Karyl Frankiewicz, you have seen her smile and you have seen her wonderful spirit. She brings a smiling face and joy to everyone and every event she attends.
Karyl is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) from Tsisqwohi (Birdtown), and she is a member of the Blue Clan.
She was crowned 2012-13 Miss Cherokee on the evening of Sept. 29, 2012 and has held various other titles over the years – always representing the EBCI with style and grace.
Karyl was crowned the 2018-19 Miss Native American USA in a pageant in Tempe, Ariz. on Aug. 24, 2018. She was the second EBCI tribal member (Kristina Hyatt served in 2015-16) to hold the title.
Karyl Frankiewicz, a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, smiles as she waves to the crowd in the Cherokee Indian Fair Parade in Cherokee, N.C. on Oct. 7, 2025. (SCOTT MCKIE B.P./One Feather photos)
On March 15, 2014, she became the first EBCI tribal member to win the title of Miss Indian North Carolina. Most recently, she was named Ms. America’s Elite Educator at a pageant held Oct. 23-25, 2025 in Roswell, Ga. She qualified for that pageant by holding the title of Ms. North Carolina Elite Educator.
Karyl has always taken the role of ambassador very seriously. In her final report to the One Feather as Miss Cherokee, Karyl wrote, “The job of being an ambassador has been a remarkable experience to represent the Tribe and make better connections with our various tribes throughout Indian Country.”
Making connections is an area where she excels. I have taken photos of Karyl at a multitude of events over the years, and she is always extremely friendly and cordial to everyone she comes in contact with. Her outgoing nature, combined with her zeal for Cherokee culture – especially the language, make her a wonderful ambassador.
Karyl holds a degree in early childhood education from Southwestern Community College and currently works as a language specialist assistant at New Kituwah Academy – the EBCI’s Cherokee language immersion school. She is also an alumni of the Du-yu-go-dv-I (Right Path) Adult Leadership Program.
She represents the EBCI in a wonderful way in every aspect of her life, and she is also an outstanding advocate for the autism community.
Karyl was featured in an article in Spectrum Life shortly after being crowned Miss Native American USA. In that article, she related that she was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome at age 8.
Being in pageants helped her overcome some challenges. She said in the article, “I had to make cues for myself to perform to the best of my abilities. I did struggle with not moving my body; my hands were the worst but as Native Americans, we use our hands all the time in storytelling. I also had an issue with the lights because I was trained to make eye contact while speaking. I couldn’t see and that had made me nervous, hoping I was doing enough on stage in engaging the audience.”
Her platform for the Miss Native American USA pageant was autism awareness, and she noted in the article, “My main goal is to share our stories of some of the struggles that we face every day and to give an understanding of what we deal with having autism with those who don’t live with it. With my message, I hope to bring awareness and stop the bullying by those who don’t understand our struggles. I believe if we show what we deal with daily, we can open doors and come together. I will continue to share my message during and after my reign as it is important to have a voice for those who don’t.”
Karyl continues to not only spread a message of awareness but one of joy, one of compassion, one of love for others, and one of service. She is truly a beautiful person, and her smile shows off what is on the inside.
