Community Members Gather for Little Ponies Powwow
The Comanche Little Ponies held their 53rd annual powwow on Friday, May 12 and Saturday, May 13.
Lowell Nibbs, the Little Ponies Chairman, said he’s honored to hold the position.
“It's an honor to be a part of the Little Ponies, to be able to call yourself a Little Pony,” he said. “But it's even more of an honor when you say you're the chairman. So, this is a very old society that's been around for over 50 years. I wasn't there in the beginning, I'm not that old, but we're just carrying on what others have started.”
He said the Little Ponies are a traditional warrior society. The powwow was a celebration of the Little Pony Society.
“That we're still here after all this time, but it's also a celebration of the Comanche people,” Nibbs said. “Because the society is of the Comanche people, that's who it belongs to. So, we celebrate our tradition and our ways, and we also incorporate Mother's Day with this dance. Sometimes you'll see it called a Mother's Day Dance. We honor all of the mothers that are here today.”
Nibbs said several songs had been given to the society, which he enjoys hearing, including one for mothers.
“Mr. Gaylin Motaw has made a song and given it to the Little Ponies, and we sing it every year,” he said. “He comes and he sings it. It's a song that belongs to us. We also have a gourd dance song and a war dance song. We have three songs that have been given to the society, so that's one of my favorites.”
Nibbs also said he enjoys the contests.
There were also several people inducted into the Little Ponies.
“It's important to bring new people into our society because a lot of us, the society is getting older. There's a lot of people that can't dance anymore, that can't travel anymore. So, it's important that we bring in new people,” Nibbs said. “…The society decides who comes into the Little Ponies. We don't just take anybody. There's a lot of people that think that they can just come here and join. It doesn't work like that.”
He said there are close to 200 people in the society and requirements include ethics and how someone carries themselves.
“Once you join the society, you represent the society. If you have an upstanding life, you know, you don't live in a certain way and do things,” Nibbs said. “Every member, they don't drink, they don't smoke, anything like that. It's how you carry yourself. We look at that and we look at your family. If the members agree, then we offer an invitation to come to the society. You don't always have to be Comanche either.”
Nibbs said he was excited to see the size of the crowd.
“It's always kind of a shock when there's other things going on this weekend; to have all these people come here and be with us is just incredible,” he said. “We have people from all over the United States actually that are here today.”
Nibbs said the event was broadcast online for those who couldn’t attend the powwow.
Chairman Mark Woommavovah, Comanche Nation Princess McKenzi Sovo, Comanche Nation Jr. Princess Vivien Parker and CIVA Princess Arlene Schonchin attended the powwow.
Other Princesses include Kylie Davis, the homecoming princess, Mercedes Banderas, the Chesna family Princess and Jasmine Poemoceah, the Cache Johnson O’Malley Princess, as well as several others.
