Crowe and Dunlevy Honored at Powwow
On Friday, July 26, Comanche Tribal Members put on a powwow to honor Crowe and Dunlevy at Watchetaker Hall.
Tina Emhoolah, who helped organize the powwow, said the hosts are family and friends of Mike McBride and co-sponsored by Crowe and Dunlevy.
“I was raised with cultural activities, traditions and customs. And I felt like in this success…we campaigned for Crowe and Dunlevy, and the Comanche people chose them,” she said. “And as Comanches, how do you celebrate that? …There are many different parts of our community, of our people. They do things in many ways, celebrate, and we wanted to get together and celebrate their success with a meal, sharing a meal, and some singing and dancing, just getting together and…looking forward to good and great things by sharing that time together.”
Emhoolah said the powwow is part of that custom.
“The powwow is for Crowe and Dunlevy as the new, as…this year's law firm for the Comanche Nation, and through that custom of sharing a meal, song and dance, and fellowship together is to celebrate their victory,” she said. “The Comanche people chose them, you know, when we chose a new chairman, this chairman, having that cultural family and teachings, he, along with the new vice chairman, they hosted…a little powwow gathering, feed, things like that. It's the way families want to celebrate when somebody has a success, you get together, and you want to share a meal, and singing, you know, and dancing brings joy, moves the spirit.”
Emhoolah said she’s been working on the event since the campaign.
“I grew up with powwows, and, so I have that background of organizing, and I just start in advance…Good Indian women keep things on hand for giveaway or for upcoming events; you never know,” she said. “So, you just kind of get started early, and you start preparing and staging and putting things together. And then, of course, you don't want to put the cart before the horse. And we didn't really make any plans until after that final vote, and when they did…what a wonderful thing. They were chosen, and so in that, you know, we wanted to celebrate, so then we really got down to things and got our things together.”
Emhoolah said McBride and, Crowe and Dunlevy play an important role in the Comanche Nation.
“When you're a child, you don't really understand how important it is, but as I've grown and continue to learn. Law is really the foundation in America, and especially for Native American tribes, specifically Indian law,” she said. “And Mike McBride has dedicated his career to Indian law, and he has achieved by his own merits great successes that affect Native American tribes across…the country. When you're able to set a precedence or make a change, not only are you representing and doing the work for the tribe that you're doing it on behalf of, but that can set a new standard or make an impact on Native America. And Mike has contributed to that, and that's why…he's very near and dear to our heart, and he's grown in his relationships with the Comanche people, as well as Indian country.”
Emhoolah said McBride has been building bonds to have greater insight into Indian law.
