Princess Powwow Features New Royalty
Comanche Nation said farewell to Jr. Princess Bluesky Tosee and Princess Michelle Nevaquaya and welcomed two new princesses during the Princess Powwow on Sunday, April 2, at Watchetaker Hall.
Incoming Jr. Princess Vivien Parker is a descendent of Quanah Parker and lives in Oklahoma City, attending Northwest Classen High School. She said she’s excited to meet new people and make new memories.
“My hobbies are basketball, beading and doing activity work with people in Oklahoma City or just anywhere,” she said.
However, this isn’t the first title Parker has held.
“I was the Quanah Parker descendant’s princess for a certain amount of time and then I ran for junior Miss Indian Oklahoma City which gave me more confidence to maybe run for a bigger title so that's when I decided that I wanted to run for the Comanche Nation Jr. Princess title,” she said. “And I also just get the encouragement and stuff from my family and then seeing other family members do it makes me think I can do it.
Parker thanked everyone for coming out to the powwow, especially her family.
Incoming Princess McKenzi Sovo is a senior at Eisenhower High School. During her time there, she’s played softball, ran track, competed in powerlifting and participated in Native American Club. Sovo was also crowned Homecoming princess.
Sovo said she felt happy and proud about winning. She also said it’s very sentimental to herself and her family.
“Not a lot of people focus on traditional and you know how Native Americans do things traditionally and my family really focuses on that,” Sovo said. “And I know that this is one of the things that a lot of my family ran for or you know won and I just wanted to follow in their footsteps and make everyone proud as well as myself,”
She said she would take off a year of school to focus on being Comanche Nation Princess, but she’ll still take her ACT and SATs.
“I really want to focus on this and be committed to it as much as possible and just do my best at this,” Sovo said. “That's why I want to just take a break and take a step back from everything.”
She said she’s looking forward to the Comanche Fair and Shoshone reunion.
“I've heard a lot about them and also I've been to the Comanche Fair multiple, multiple years; almost all my life and it's a really good experience,” Sovo said. “And…I'm excited to experience as Comanche princess and I think it's going to be a really awesome time and I'm really excited.
She gave a thank you to the family and is hoping to do an excellent job of representing the nation.
“I just want to do a really good job representing the Comanche Nation and being the ambassador and it's gonna be a really good experience and it's gonna be hard but I think I can do it and I'm really excited,” Sovo said.
Both of their reigns have begun after the Sunday night crowning.
