GATHERING: Miss Cherokee Amorie Gunter attended the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque, NM the weekend of April 26-27. (Photo by Angie Gunter)
By AMORIE GUNTER
MISS CHEROKEE 2016-17
Siyo! It brings me so much joy and sadness to be writing this month’s report. I now have six months left in my reign. It seems like just yesterday I was getting crowned as the 2016-17 Miss Cherokee.
At the beginning of the month, Mars Hill University NASA (Native American Student Association) President Amy West invited me to come and be apart of a stickball game she was hosting. I feel like this was a very important event because we got to show people a small part of our culture that they might have never got to see.
I got to participate in the ribbon cutting celebration for the new Big Cove head start. I am so excited we were able to build such a beautiful facility for our babies to learn and grow in.
Itola Valley Elementary School in Franklin asked me to come speak to their 2nd and 4th grade. While there, I got asked so many questions and got to teach them about my title as well as my cultural traditions and history. This meant a lot to me because my niece and nephew attend this school and were beyond excited to be showing off their aunt.
I volunteered with the BabyFace program at the Children’s Fair. This is always something I love doing because I love seeing how excited the kids get to play in the bubbles.
To wrap up the month, I traveled to Albuquerque, NM to the Gathering of the Nations pow wow. This weekend was so much fun! I got to meet and have my picture made with so many people. I also got to watch our very own Karyl Frankiewicz compete in the Miss Indian World pageant. She did an outstanding job representing our Tribe, and I am so glad I got to be there to support her!
I am so blessed to have the opportunity to represent my Tribe in so many different places. I would like to say a quick thank you first to the Lord for blessing me with this experience and next to my board members for always making sure I am safe and have everything I need, especially my Chairman Samantha Hernandez and Treasurer April Shuler. Also, thank you to my family and friends for being my chaperones/body guards and a huge thank you to my mom, Angie Gunter, for traveling with me and being my personal photographer.
I absolutely cannot wait to see where the next six months take me!
If you would like for me to attend an event please email ebcimisscherokee@gmail.org
Sgi, thank you!
