Nickey has enjoyed year as Choctaw Princess

They say time flies when you are having fun.

Choctaw Indian Princess Cadence Raine Nickey would agree with that. Her year as the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indian Princess will come to an end July 12 with the opening night of the 73rd annual Choctaw Indian Fair. The annual princess pageant will officially open the fair, which runs through Saturday, July 15.

“Once December arrived, time went by like a blink of an eye and I said I wished it would slow down,” Nickey said. “At some point, I do feel a little sad. It is bitter-sweet. I think I’m just happy I got to accomplish a childhood dream. I got to serve as the Princess.”

While being selected was a dream come true, Nickey said it was more than what she expected.

“On the outside looking in, it seems all we do is pose for pictures,” Nickey said. “But you actually do more. You get more involved. Giving presentations about my Tribe was my favorite thing.

“I enjoyed the travel. In December, I got to go to Oklahoma. And in April,  I was in New Mexico for the Gathering of Nations Powwow. I met a lot of princesses from other tribes and it was a lot of fun.”

As Princess, Nickey is the official spokesperson and ambassador for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

“I attended various ribbon cuttings and ground breakings, especially within our Tribe,” Nickey said. “I have gone to classrooms around the state and even in Memphis, giving presentations about our Tribe. Especially during Native American Heritage month. That was the biggest part of my time as princess.”

Attending college has been tucked into her busy schedule. Nickey, a 2022 graduate of Choctaw Central High School, attended Mississippi State University during the fall semester. Because of the travel, she transferred to East Central Community College and took online courses during the spring semester. But she plans to return to State this fall where she is majoring in forensic science.

“There have been some long days and long nights, traveling, attending events and getting school work done,” Nickey said. “We have around 11,000 members of the Tribe in Mississippi, Tennessee and parts of Oklahoma. I have enjoyed meeting many of them this past year.”

Nickey is from the Tucker Community. She is the daughter of Eric Nickey and Georgianna McMillian. Her grandparents are the late Lee James and the late Addie Jean (Denson) McMillan, Donald  and the late Gloria Bell, and Wilma Simpson-McMillan.

Her hobbies include photography, playing softball and hanging out with friends. She enjoys traditional Choctaw social dancing as well.