Comanche Language Students Showcase Talent at Language Fair

Oklahoma Native American Language Fair took place at Sam Noble Museum on University of Oklahoma’s campus in Norman.

The event began with Pre-K through 5th grade on Monday, April 6 and 6th through 12th grade on Tuesday, April 7.

Angela Passi is the site director for Numu Tutertuu (Numuh Thedethe), Early Childhood Development Center. She said they began preparing for the language fair in January.

“We practiced every day. We pulled them out two at a time. They're three and four-year-olds, so their attention span is really short,” she said. “So, it was easier for me to pull them out one to two at a time and practice with them. So, the first month, we did the first song. The second month, we practiced the second song. And then on month three, we did both songs, and we went to different tribal programs, and we sang so that they could get used to singing in front of an audience.”

Passi’s students participated in pre-k through 2nd grade, modern song medium group.
“So, we collaborated with the Comanche language program. We worked closely with Miss Billie Kreger. She used to be our language teacher for us, back in the early years when I had first started here,” she said. “We told her that we wanted to do ‘Jesus Loves the Little Children,’ so they were able to translate that for us, and they chose our first song, which was ‘Hymn Number 23’ to the tune of ‘Is My Name Written There?’”

According to Passi, this age group is the best time to teach.

“Starting them young, because at this age, early childhood development, zero to five, that's where they soak up the most information you give them. And they look up to us. We're still cool to them. We can still be like that positive role model for them,” she said. “So, it's important for us to start them out young. I still retained a lot of the language that my grandmother taught me when I was young. So just starting them out with the basics, of course, the alphabet, your numbers, your colors, and then incorporating the song, because children pick up songs quickly. So, we turn everything into a song. Everything goes into a song because they're able to retain it well. So, it's important. At least they have that. If they don't remember anything else, they'll remember those.”

Passi said the event can be hard on some of the students, but they’re always supportive.

“Even if we do have like a scheduled performance, if our children show up that day, and they're just not emotionally ready to do that, we're not going to take them, because we don't ever want to put them in a spot where they're going to feel uncomfortable,” she said. “Because they're still trying to learn how to manage their emotions, and they deal with big feelings. And even as adults, we sometimes struggle with handling those emotions and our anxiety and all of those things. So, I would never expect these little people to be able to do that. So, we don't ever want to put them in a situation where they're uncomfortable. So that was always my biggest fear: is like, ‘What if we get up there, and they're just not having it?’ We're going to pull them off stage. They're like our babies. So, whatever we can do to protect them. But like I said, they were just fearless when they went up there, and they did amazing.”

The Comanche Academy Charter School also participated in the fair.

Lawton High School Native American Club Princess Emilia Chasenah said it was amazing to showcase the Comanche language in a group hymn and a solo hymn.

“It made me feel really, really amazing to be able to demonstrate and showcase that we as Comanche people, as numunu, are able to sing our hymns,” she said.” And it made me feel really good inside to be able to see many different cultures that are still here. And some of these songs are just really ancient. And it's a good thing that our elders are passing these songs and these cultural practices down to us as youth, to be able to go back home with them and teach the people who don't have time to learn these. So, it made me feel really good to be here.”

As someone who comes from various tribal backgrounds, Chasenah enjoys seeing different relatives and tribes she hasn’t met.

She’s passionate about language.

“I learned Comanche language through my father and my grandmother. And it was important for me to carry that on,” Chasenah said. “And so, when I moved to Lawton High, I ended up taking Comanche courses. And it made me more passionate to be able to speak the language that my ancestors once spoke. And that's why I'm really passionate about it, because I'm able to carry on that language. And it lives through me, too.”

She said she speaks the language for those who can’t anymore.

“What got me into language was seeing that it wasn't too natural for Native American people, such as Comanche people, who still have a language just to speak English,” Chasenah said. “And it was very hard for me to learn about the history of residential schools. And so, I speak the language for those who don't, such as dancing. I dance for those who never got to dance.”

There was also a skit played by some of the students, including Trey Ramirez.

“So, we had an apple that we would pass around to each other, and we'll toss it to each other. Whoever drops it, you'd be out,” he said. “And then you would have to say, when you catch it, a word in Comanche. It doesn't have to be anything specific, but you can't repeat it. No repeat words. It's just a new word each time, and we'll go and go and go until one person [is] left.”

The game had several aspects, according to Antonio Negron and Ramirez.

“When you say, kwakui nu, that means, I won. But if you lost, it's, yai nu.” Negron said.

“And it’d be like ‘You lost.’ And then, that's how each person will get out. And then before we start, we'll all say, nohi tanu, it means, ‘let's play. Let's all play.’ So that's how we'll start it off together,” Ramirez said.

Negron and Ramirez said the other groups did well.

“I like the people that got first place. I like the little play they did. That was really good,” Negron said.

“Yeah. Their little stickball, I think they called it. That was pretty fun to watch. Great performance on their part, too. So, you know, it's an honor to go against that as well. Not only did we win second, but we saw the first place….they deserved it,” Ramirez said.

They both participated in a prayer.

“I was kind of nervous, mainly just for the prayer, because it was just me and him upstage,” Negron said.

“That part was a little nerve-wracking, getting up to it, having to keep practicing, rehearsing it over and over and over,” Ramirez said.

“We were practicing on the way here, on the whole bus ride, and then when we got here, we were just practicing. But we did good, though. We got second place. We got second place in all of our events, but that's OK. You know, you can't win all the time,” Negron said.

“Can't win them all, but you know what?” Ramirez said.

“But you know what we got?” Negron said.

“In our hearts. We got them all. See, each one, a win in our hearts. Our hymns that we sang, our prayer that we did ourselves, and then our little game that we played. And it's an honor to be here. It's an honor to do it all and have fun with it,” Ramirez said.

Negron said it was nice to see the complexities of the other languages.

“How different their subjects and vowels are, how they pronounce everything,” he said. “It's so crazy, because it's just cool seeing all the different languages.”

Ramirez said Comanche language is stoic and bold.

“In our Comanche language…we've been learning it, wanting to spread it everywhere,” he said.
“The way we do it, it's all bold. It's all stoic-sounding, so you want to, you’ve got to have a deep voice when you do it. And like, maruawe, very stoic, very strong. Numunu means our people. It goes for all of us, all Comanches, even other Natives who aren't Comanches, you know.”

Students from Moore, Elgin, Indiahoma and Cyril also represented the Comanche language.