Comanche Nation Prevention and Recovery Celebrates Third Annual Powwow

On Saturday, February 25, Comanche Nation Prevention and Recovery hosted its third annual powwow at Watchetaker Hall.

Executive Assistant for Comanche Nation Prevention and Recovery Jessica Tahah said it took a lot of group effort to put together the powwow. She said it’s one of the nation's largest programs.

There were gifts given out to some of the dancers.

“For the tiny tots, we put together a bag. It has coloring books, crayons, markers, lots of candy, full-size candy,” she said. “There's like little fidget things in there, like squishy balls. And then, of course, for our contest, we will have prize money, which is four, three and two. And that wouldn't have been done if we had other departments come together to help us to sponsor. And so, we will make that announcement during the powwow for who sponsored all the contests.”

Vendors were also at the event and provided a gift to be raffled off.

“It's just community effort,” Tahah said.

She said she was glad to see the events’ success and to see visiting tribes.

“But I'm really happy,” Tahah said. “I'm over-emotional, actually, because of the outcome, the participation, and just to see all of the clients and our visiting, the visiting facilities that came from Ponca and Osage Nation.”

She said the powwow was chosen because one of the grants was explicitly written for the powwow.

“It helps with the community. It brings awareness [and] education, while keeping it traditional because in our residential facility, we do try to keep our culture very prominent,” Tahah said. “Like with IAMNDN, for example, theirs is ‘Culture is Prevention,’ so we try to keep our activities culture-based.”

Tahah said that hearing the clients say these events help them in recovery, and sobriety means a lot.

“Some of them are lost. They weren't raised around this, so to know that we are giving them their culture and teaching them and they're learning, and some of them aren't even Comanche,” she said. “But they're really respectful and they're really thankful for that. That's a feeling that just makes me happy to be here and do what I do.”

Prevention and Recovery’s next event will be their Easer Celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 8, at the Comanche Nation Powwow Grounds.