Autumn Rose Williams is the current Miss Native American USA 2017-2018 Photo: Jeremy Dennis
News Release
Miss Native American USA Organization
The Miss Native American USA Organization proudly announces their 7th Annual MNAUSA Scholarship Pageant on Friday, August 24, 2018 in Tempe, Arizona. The national pageant is returning to the Tempe Center for the Arts this year, after taking up Mesa Community College last year as their host location. The pageant is in its seventh year, featuring the best of the Native Communities featuring the likes of Indigenous women from the Navajo, Northern Cheyenne, Cherokee, Apache, Zuni, and the Shinnecock Nations. MNAUSA is an organization where our title holders spread their messages/platform on a national level, addressing real topics from Indian Country.
Themed “Empowering Our Nations,” this year’s host is former Miss Indian World 2016-17, Honorable Danielle Ta’Sheena Finn. Judge Finn, Wichapi Sakowin Win—Lakota for the Seventh Star Woman, is from Porcupine/Bismarck, North Dakota. Judge Finn is Hunkpapa Lakota, Inhanktowan Dakota, Assiniboine, and Métis and is a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Judge Finn obtained a Juris Doctorate Degree with high pro bono distinction from Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. She also received a Certificate in Global Arbitration and Practices while studying at the Queen Mary School of Law in London, England.
Autumn Rose Williams is the current Miss Native American USA 2017-2018. She was born and raised on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation located on Long Island, New York. MNAUSA Williams’ platform is Indigenous Women’s Empowerment focuses on identity, connection to our culture, ability to balance tribal societal values with American societal values, and how we encourage each other.
During her times as Miss Native American USA, Williams has been the Keynote speaker for the Long Island Women’s Diversity Summit in New York, and The Native Project Wellness Camp in Washington State. She has also traveled to Massachusetts, Colorado, Washington, D.C, and Bermuda to spread her message and share her culture as a Shinnecock Woman. Williams’ graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelors of Science in Mass Communications, with a concentration in public relations and a minor in business. She currently works as the Marketing & Communication Assistant at Peconic Land Trust and helps with any public relations work needed at Native Max Magazine in her spare time.
This year, we have another great lineup of intelligent, beautiful, and outspoken Indigenous young women ready to take the National MNAUSA title and crown home to their Tribal Nation. Our lineup this year is as follows:
Billie Jean Teehee – Cherokee Nation – Stilwell, Oklahoma
Edith Starr- San Carlos Apache – Peridot, Arizona
Ashley Holiday- Diné (Navajo) Nation – Kayenta, Arizona
Maria Vega – Assiniboine & Sioux Tribe – Wolf Point, Montana
Taylor Harvey – Diné (Navajo) Nation – Flagstaff, Arizona
Morgan Smith – San Carlos Apache & White Mountain Apache – Whiteriver, Arizona
Karyl Frankiewicz – Eastern Band Of Cherokee Indians – Cherokee, North Carolina
Tomasina Gilliam – Seminole Tribe of Florida – Fort Pierce, Florida
Shannon Barnet – Muscogee Creek – Broke Arrow, Oklahoma
Sharona Eskeets – Diné (Navajo) Nation – Bloomfield, New Mexico
Tickets can be purchased for $15 (does not include processing fee) through TCA box office at (480) 350 -2822. On August 24th, the doors open to the public at 5:30 PM at 700 West Rio Salado, in Tempe.
For more information, you can contact DeWayne Dawson, MNAUSA Publicist at (408) 515-1310 or ddawson_mna_usa@yahoo.com.
