ONEIDA (NBC 26) — Miss Oneida Kaylee Schuyler will compete in the Miss Indian World pageant April 25th in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She hopes to help language revitalization efforts in Indigenous communities.
- See Miss Oneida Kaylee Schuyler representing her nation in traditional Oneida attire
- Schuyler was given the title of Miss Oneida over the summer
- In her current position she dedicates herself to the revitalization of the Oneida language among tribal youth
- In a couple of weeks she will compete against other Indigenous women in the Miss Indian World pageant
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
This month Miss Oneida will compete on a global stage. I'm your Oneida neighborhood reporter Pari Apostolakos and the local titleholder tells me why this competiton is about more than a crown.
I met this year's Miss Oneida titleholder Kaylee Schuyler outside the Oneida Nation gate at Lambeau Field.
In a couple of weeks, the 21-year-old is set to represent the Oneida Nation at Miss Indian World, which, according to the pageant website, is the largest pageant of its kind for Indigenous women around the world.
"This definitely is something that hits close to home because [of] just being able to have the opportunity to [have] that cultural exchange with Indigenous women that I will be there with, to be able to learn from other Indigenous women where they come from," Schuyler said.
The competition features a talent, public speaking, personal interview and dance portion.
Schuyler's platform: language revitalization for Indigenous communities.
According to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Oneida language is endangered, with less than a dozen native speakers.
"That's definitely what this means to me, is an opportunity to come together and really uplift our nations, and our identity," Schuyler said. "Language is part of our identity, and so, to be able to uplift that and encourage that is something that really is important to me."
The pageant will happen April 25th at the Gathering of Nations Powwow in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
