CTVA Powwow is Held at Watchetaker Hall
On Saturday, June 24, the Comanche Tribal Veterans Association (CTVA) held its annual powwow in honor of Carl Atauvich at Watchetaker Hall.
Commander of CTVA Eleanor McDaniel said the powwow is usually on Armed Forces Day, but there were scheduling conflicts earlier this year.
“It's been a long time coming because COVID and of course members of our organization lost the family,” she said. “I lost my husband, my brother, and then the vice commander, he lost a relative.”
She said those who have experienced loss held off dancing when they lose a member of their loved ones.
McDaniel said it’s been about two or three since their last powwow.
“It feels pretty good except that for today my vice commander…he’s having health problems and so, we'd like to request prayer for him,” she said. “He's not able to be here. He's the vice commander. He's highly involved in, you know, this event every year. He's my right hand and now that he's sick, you know, he even, while he was sick, he helped hold it off.”
She said that despite hardships, the culture helps.
“One of the things that I guess that really comes to mind is my father. He was one of the last fluent speakers of the language in the tribe and he believed in our culture and he believed in ballets,” she said. “And one of the things he said was that if you want to be Comanche, go with Comanche. So, this is how we do it. This is the Comanche way of doing this.”
McDaniel said the event honors tribal veterans. She’s been a part of the Comanche Indian Veterans Association for 20 years, which established the Code Talker monument.
She said CTVA is an open invitation to all tribal veterans.
“Veterans have always been important to me. And so there were other veterans that wanted to be involved and didn’t feel like they were invited,” McDaniel said. “So, that's why I established this Comanche Tribal so that anybody could come and participate whenever they want to. There were no rules. They were, you know, just come and participate.”
Comanche Nation Princess McKenzi Sovo and Comanche Nation Jr. Princess Vivien Parker attended the powwow. As well as Cornel Pewewardy.
The event featured a Prettiest Shawl contest which included 75 dollars for first place, 50 for second place and 25 for third place. There were also several vendors.
The powwow also had a special and TV raffle.
McDaniel said she appreciated all of the support CTVA received.
