A Mohawk Valley Community College student will serve as princess for the Six Nations Agricultural Society Indian Village during the 2025 New York State Fair.
Elaina Cook, a member of the Wolf Clan of the Oneida Indian Nation, will welcome visitors to the village, talk about her Oneida heritage and take part in daily presentations and dances on the Turtle Mound during the fair, from Aug. 20 to Sept. 1.
“I wanted to be princess to represent my Nation and set a good example for other Oneida youth,” Cook said in a statement. “I want them to be proud of who they are, and to be proud of their heritage.”
Family steeped in heritage
Cook’s family is steeped in that heritage with a family tradition of beadwork going back multiple generations. Cook is learning to bead from her mother, Mary Homer, who started a bead working business, Beading Wolves, which sells jewelry, barrettes, purses, neckties, apparel and so on.
Cook, one of nine siblings, graduated from Oneida High School in 2023. She’s pursuing an accounting degree at MVCC and works in retail at Turning Stone Enterprises.
Every summer the six nations of the Haudenosaunee — the Oneida, Mohawk, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora nations — come together in the village to exhibit their history and culture. Traditional music, dance, crafts and art will all be on display during the fair.
The princess is chosen by a different nation each year. This year the Oneida Indian Nation picked Cook as its representative.
“The Oneida Indian Nation is honored to have Elaina serve as this year’s princess for the Six Nations Agricultural Society Indian Village,” Nation Representative Ray Halbritter said in a statement. “Gathering with the other Haudenosaunee nations to share our rich history, culture and traditional hospitality with state fair visitors reflects the enduring values our people have upheld since time immemorial — living in peace, unity, and friendship.”
Here are some highlights of the fair in the Six Nations village:
The Indian Village is located in a shady area closest to the Gate 4 entrance to the fairgrounds.
The fairgrounds will be open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily during the fair and the buildings will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Princess for 10 days: Local woman to represent Oneidas at state fair Indian Village
Reporting by Amy Neff Roth, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
