Comanche Youth Dancers Host Spring Powwow
On Saturday, February 21, Comanche Nation Youth Dancers held a powwow at Watchetaker Hall.
Comanche Homecoming Princess Hannah Owens dances Southern Cloth, a traditional dance.
“My favorite part is bringing all of the youth together,” she said. “We all get along in the Comanche youth dances, and we enjoy spending time together. I especially appreciate how we invited Lawton Public Schools to co-host Eisenhower and Lawton High because they are rising clubs, and I'm glad to give them this recognition for their first time to co-host.”
Owens said it’s important to represent Native culture.
“I believe it's important to represent our culture among the youth so they can continue to thrive with it and grow up and appreciate our culture and never forget it,” she said.
Owens said her family was a big factor in her joining the youth dancers.
“I had a large amount of family that was in the group, and lots of people told me you should join the youth dances because they go and travel around many different places and among schools,” she said. “I love dancing at schools because it brightens me up to see all the children's faces smiling and getting happy at the beautiful colors we have on and the beautiful dances we do. Some kids get scared of the drum, but that's okay because they still love what they see.”
Lawton High School Native Club Princess Emilia Chasenah dances Southern Cloth, as well.
“The youth dancers’ powwow is very important to showcase the work that the youth dancers do in their job to preserve the culture of Comanche dance but also teaching others about cultures that they are not aware of,” she said. “And also teaching the members within it of their own culture and being able to help carry on that tradition that's been passed down for generations now into the modern time. It's very important for Native people to kind of have that preservation and be able to see that we're still here.”
Chasenah said it’s a big deal, and it’s also important for the youth to be involved.
“It's the younger people, the next generation of the Native Americans, that are going to possibly make a change to Native communities and so on, even in a historical sense of preserving dance and being seen like practicing,” she said.
Chasenah said she wanted to do more for her community and has just started with Comanche Nation Youth Dancers.
“I wanted to get out and dance more and so I asked my friend and she pointed me towards the Comanche Youth Dancers and I've been in it since,” she said.
Chasenah loves to dance.
The youth dancers are led by Teresa Lopez.
