A Tribute to Cheyenne Brady from U.S. Senator

Posted By Toyacoyah Brown May 10th, 2015 Last Updated on: May 10th, 2015

Cheyenne Brady was recently crowned the 2015 Miss Indian World at the Gathering of Nations. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp took time out from her schedule to formally congratulate Ms. Brady. Here she is in her own words:

Mr. President, I congratulate Ms. Cheyenne Brady, a resident of the great State of North Dakota, on being crowned the 2015-2016 Miss Indian World.

The Miss Indian World competition is the largest and most prestigious cultural pageant for young Native women and was recently held during the Gathering of Nations Powwow at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Twenty contestants from across the United States and Canada were judged on public speaking, a personal interview, talent presentation, traditional dance, and an essay. Throughout the competition, contestants demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of their culture and tribal history. Cheyenne won awards for the Best Essay as well as Best Dancer categories.

Cheyenne is a member of the Sac and Fox Nation, and also represents the Hidatsa Arikara, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Otoe, Kiowa Apache, and Tonkawa tribes. At 22 years old, she is a student at North Dakota State
University majoring in behavioral health and was recently accepted into North Dakota State University's graduate school program for American Indian Public Health. As Congress works to support Native youth and address their holistic needs that include behavioral and mental health issues, it is heartening to see Cheyenne specialize in areas so critical to helping her tribe and community members succeed.

I wish Cheyenne well as she travels across the United States and Canada in her role as Miss Indian World. During her reign, Cheyenne hopes to instill a sense of pride in Native youth and will encourage
them to embrace their culture. It is truly a great honor to have such a talented young woman represent North Dakota and Indian Country on the world stage.