Workforce Unveils Medicine Wagon Exhibit
On Monday, April 17, Comanche Nation Work Force opened the Medicine Wagon exhibit at Medicine Park Aquarium.
Director of Comanche Nation Workforce Angelena Ortiz said they wanted to branch out into the community and share the Comanche culture.
“This particular project was started before I began working for the Comanche Nation Workforce, but I'm very proud of the fact that we've been able to see it through and we are very proud of how it's turned out,” she said.
Ortiz said the ribbon cutting was amazing.
“Very intimate. There was a smaller group of people this time and we were able to cedar some guests of the aquarium and share our culture with them specifically and I really feel like it was a very meaningful and enjoyable experience for everybody,” she said.
Ortiz said she is familiar with some of the medicine.
“My personal experience with Comanche medicine is I have an aunt who once expressed to me that tobacco use was good for bug bites,” she said. “And then my grandmother, who had 16 Comanche children, she would burn cedar in the house every winter and that is just something that really brings a lot of joy to me whenever I smell that in the area. So, it's something that's very heartwarming to me.”
This is the third exhibit Workforce has sponsored at Medicine Park Aquarium.
“And Medicine Park, of course, most people know is another part of our homeland and we love that we can be a part of this,” she said.
Ortiz said the Medicine Wagon was donated from the City of Medicine Park. She said she’s looking forward to future projects.
“We love helping our Comanche people, of course, and we love collaborating with other programs,” she said.“But we also enjoy being in our community, helping those in need, and also just sharing our culture with outside organizations so that they can understand that the Comanche people are loving and caring people.”
Ortiz said the department likes to work with those outside the Comanche Nation.
“We are more than willing to work with any entities or organizations that are willing to work with us,” she said. “And we just love being able to help anyone in need.”
Ortiz said they help other federally recognized tribal members and families of tribal members.
“With every supportive service that we provide or employability enhancement or even job placement, we are able to help those households that may or may not be Comanche Nation enrolled members,” she said.
The Medicine Park Aquarium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located at 1 Aquarium Dr.
