Defenders Receive Tribal Welcome in Cherokee

The Krazy Nation Singers of Cherokee was founded by **Duck Lossiah,** who has been drumming and singing for more than 30 years at Tribal Fairs, powwows, drum events, and a variety of opening ceremonies. His experience includes performances at major cultural gatherings, including a powwow held at Yale University. **Mike Thompson and Will Tushka accompanied Duck for this event.** Duck has a deep passion for this art form. While his singing is not specifically rooted in Cherokee tradition, he performs in the
*Northern Plains style—one of the oldest forms of powwow singing. He began learning powwow Singing in 1993 in New Mexico with the Black Eagle Singers.*

Details and Photos provided by Rosie McCoy, Assistant Court Clerk, Public Relations Officer – Tribal Court, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

For the Welcome and Opening Ceremony at the 2026 Spring Public Defender Conference held May 6 in Cherokee, Duck Lossiah opened the meeting with a Grand Entry Song. In honor of Tribal Veterans, an Honor Flag Song was also performed.

When asked what he wanted people to remember about his presentation, Duck responded, “I want individuals to have good feelings from the songs we sing for the people. We sing for the spectators, for their enjoyment, and I want them to leave feeling good.”

The Honor Guard

*This is **David McQueen,** a member of the American Legion Steve Youngdeer Post 143. David is an enrolled member of the Muskogee Creek. He is a Viet Nam veteran and U.S. Army Combat Engineer.*

**This is Warren Dupree.** Warren is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; he is a U.S. Navy Vietnam veteran, member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves and the U.S. Army National Guard. Warren is a veteran of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He has 35 years, eight months and five days of active and reserve military service. “I am proud of every moment,” he said. “Thank you for asking.”

*This **John Agoo (right)** pictured with Warren Dupree. John is a member of the American Legion Steve Youngdeer Post 143.*

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Royalty

**Teen Miss Cherokee Ava Walkingstick**
**Jr. Miss Cherokee Keilani Arch**
**Little Miss Cherokee Alessandra Ramirez**

The Royalty introduced themselves to the crowd in the Cherokee language, and each young lady shared a brief bio. All were dressed in traditional Cherokee regalia and wore their amazingly beautiful, beaded crowns. Each crown is comprised of thousands of beads which are hand-sewn into the crown material. They have individual designs and colors, but each crown bears the Tribal seal of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The girls wore handmade leather pucker toe moccasins, and finger-woven belts that take hundreds of hours to complete. The articles of clothing and jewelry are individual works of art and are worn with pride by each young lady.

Opening Remarks

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court for Cherokee Nation Bradley Letts shared a presentation about how the Cherokee Tribal Court came to be. Letts is the retired Superior Court Chief Justice for Cherokee County and now serves as the Chief Justice of the Cherokee Supreme Court.
Judge Letts described how jurisdiction is determined for crimes committed on Tribal Land and shared relevant case law and details about criminal law on Cherokee tribal land, as well as on other Native American land.

“The welcome by the Chief Justice and members of the EBCI was engaging and inspiring,” said IDS Deputy Director and General Counsel Whitney Fairbanks. “From the ceremonial drums and flag guard to the welcome spoken in Cherokee by EBCI cultural representatives, it was a profound honor to be received in this way.”

She added, “Chief Justice Letts’ remarks on the history of the Cherokee people and the complexities of Indian law were among the most compelling I have heard in recent memory.”