A new Miss Native UCO was crowned in the Liberal Arts Lecture Hall on Nov. 19, cheered on by an audience. Korra Blackbear, the previous titleholder, was given her crown in a closet in April 2025.
“Our adviser told one of the executive boards from last year, last semester, to give me my crown,” Blackbear said.
No showcase was held for Miss Native UCO last year. According to the president of the Native American Student Association, Riley McClain, the NASA executive board chose to postpone the showcase last year and instead picked Miss Native UCO through an online form.
Blackbear claimed that she was promised a scholarship when she agreed to be Miss Native UCO, and that she never received it.
“UCO Native American Student Association members raise funds for scholarships associated with the Miss Native UCO showcase,” University Communications told The Independent View. “Members did not raise funds for this purpose in 2024; therefore, the showcase did not take place and no scholarship was awarded.”
McClain also said in an email the fact that Senate Bill 796 “restricts the use of public funds for events based on race,” played a part in the changes made to the Miss Native UCO showcase.
“This legislation was enacted after the previous crowning and only came to our attention recently. We are continually evaluating how to uphold our traditions while complying with the law,” McClain said.
“They didn’t do things the proper way,” Blackbear said. “They didn’t give me a sash or shawl or anything, like they did for the new princess.”
Blackbear said the traditional outfit she wore when representing UCO and NASA as Miss Native UCO, including the sash with her name, was made by her mother.
“We initially believed the titleholder had both a crown and a sash. After learning that Korra only received a crown and had the sash made herself, we prioritized having a new sash created for this year’s winner,” McClain said.
According to Blackbear, who is a citizen of the Cheyenne and Choctaw tribes and has served as a princess before, the role of a tribal princess is to not only represent her community but who she received the title from.
Blackbear said during her time as Miss Native UCO, she attended three powwows: one in Concho Oklahoma; the Black Hills powwow in South Dakota; and Oklahoma State University’s powwow. Blackbear also attended the Missing and Murdered Indigenous People march that NASA performed in November.
“They didn’t require for me to be there, but as the Miss Native UCO at the time, I chose to be there to represent,” Blackbear said.
Blackbear said that at the Miss Native UCO Showcase on Nov. 19, out of the three judges present only one was Indigenous.
“At the end of the day, this is for Native students,” Blackbear said. “As a Native woman myself, I feel like I personally would have had multiple Native judges there to judge this pageant.”
McClain said that there were four judges at the showcase, and that all were Indigenous. McClain defended the judging of the showcase, saying that “all decisions were made with integrity.”
Blackbear said that when she was initially approached by The Independent View, members of NASA’s executive board told her not to comment.
“They just told me that I wasn’t supposed to be talking to you,” Blackbear said.
