Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Council

07/30/2026

Earlier this month, Cherokee Nation youth proudly represented our tribe at the 50th United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) Conference in Oklahoma City!

From leadership sessions and cultural activities to performances and connecting with Indigenous youth from across the country, our youth celebrated their culture, shared their voices, and built lasting connections.

Special shout out to our fellow CNTYC representatives Addison and Alyssa on being selected to be featured in the fashion show! Osda!

07/30/2026

Highlighting Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Councilor Lorelai Pilcher!

Lorelai serves as the District 8 representative and is a rising senior at Kansas High School. Her favorite Tribal Youth Council memory is attending the United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY) Conference, where she built lasting friendships, connected with Indigenous youth from across the country, and grew even closer with her fellow Tribal Youth Council members.

When asked about her favorite event this year, Lorelai chose the Cherokee Nation Easter Egg Hunt, hosted by Cherokee Nation First Lady January Hoskin "It was such a fun event, and it was incredible to see the community come together,” Lorelai said. “I got to interact with so many people, but I may have been in disguise!” 👀🐰🧺

A fun fact about Lorelai: She proudly represents District 8 alongside her brother, Landon!

Wado, Lorelai, for your dedication to serving the Cherokee Nation and your fellow youth! 💙

07/09/2026

Cherokee Nation’s 2026 Know Your Nation Summit for our Cherokee youth kicked off this morning with remarks by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr.!

The summit, which was attended by 150 Cherokee students from across the Cherokee Nation Reservation, was held at the Chota Center in Tahlequah and was hosted by the Tribal Youth Council, Cherokee Nation Public Health, Cherokee Nation Education Services and Government Relations.

Following Chief Hoskin’s keynote remarks, he and Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner joined Tribal Youth Council President Alexis Marsh for a panel discussion, along with Chief of Staff Dr. Corey Bunch, Delegate to Congress Kim Teehee, Deputy Secretary of State Canaan Duncan and District 2 Councilor Dr. Candessa Tehee.

07/08/2026

Tribal Youth Council President Alexis Marsh takes us around today’s Know Your Nation Summit, which is organized for our Cherokee youth across the reservation!

07/03/2026

05/18/2026

This weekend, Cherokee Nation Delegate to Congress Kimberly Teehee met with our 2026 Tribal Youth Councilors and Remember the Removal Bike Riders! As a past member of the Tribal Youth Council, Delegate Teehee fielded questions and delivered a message of hope, inspiration, and community to the next generation of Cherokee leaders.

As the first-ever Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs in the White House Domestic Policy Council under former President Barack Obama, and through work as Senior Advisor to the U.S. House of Representatives Native American Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Dale Kildee, Delegate Teehee has led, advised and had a lasting impact on numerous tribal initiatives.

Now, Delegate Teehee continues to represent our nation in Washington, D.C., as the first Cherokee Nation Delegate to Congress, appointed in 2019 by Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., a position in the House of Representatives guaranteed within the Treaty of New Echota. TYC and RTR members all wore their “Seat the Delegate: From Promise to Reality” shirts as a call for the full recognition of our treaty rights.

05/13/2026

Congratulations to our Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Council graduates!! 🎓✨

High School graduates include Easton Graalfs, Hulbert Public Schools; Carlee Scott, Fort Gibson Public Schools; AP Anderson, Thaden School; and Rayleigh Terrill, Vian Public Schools. Our college grad is Jenna Hamlin, Northeastern State University.

04/09/2026

We were honored to join Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., Cherokee Nation Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner and other Cherokee Nation leaders for the ✨Cherokee Nation Legislative Day✨ at the Oklahoma State Capitol this week!

The Tribal Youth Council was represented by: Easton Graalfs from District 1; Addison Rouse, Carlee Scott and Raleigh Terrill from District 4; Lorelai Pilcher from District 8; and James Procter and Rex Chancellor from District 9.

These young Cherokees are helping to pave a brighter future for the next generation.

04/06/2026

March was another productive month for the Cherokee Nation Tribal Youth Council. To kick off the month, we had a pickleball social! 🏓 It's always fun to get together, because it helps us foster connections with one another.

Throughout March, representatives attended various Cherokee Nation events, such as the Trisomy 21/Down Syndrome Awareness Day proclamation ceremony and the District 10 community meeting at the Grove Community Center.

At our March meeting, we discussed the Council of the Cherokee Nation's March 9 meeting. We reflected on the policies and events currently impacting our Nation and received our first lesson from the new TYC cultural advisor: Dayci Starr.

We are already anticipating a busy summer! ☀️ We discussed plans for the 2026 Tribal Youth Summit at our March meeting, an event providing activities and leadership workshops to Cherokee youth across the country. The event will foster community, leadership, and cultural awareness among Cherokee citizens.

The council also attended the Southern Plains Region Native Youth Council Meeting in preparation for the 2026 UNITY conference in Oklahoma City this summer. UNITY is a great opportunity for TYC to interact with other young Indigenous leaders and develop skill sets to help better serve our tribal nation.