Lawton Marks Ninth Annual Indigenous Peoples Day with Awards, Ceremonies and Cameron University Programming

Lawton gathered at City Hall on October 12 for its ninth annual Indigenous Peoples Day, bringing together tribal representatives, local leaders, students and community members for a program that went well beyond a formal proclamation. The event featured a land acknowledgment delivered by Cornel Pewewardy, a University of Oklahoma professor and former vice chair of the Comanche Nation, along with cultural songs and a color guard representing Southwest Oklahoma’s tribal nations. The city’s proclamation recognized the Comanche, Kiowa and Apache nations and their lasting contributions to the region.

Awards highlighted some of the people and organizations doing meaningful work in the community. The Comanche Nation Reintegration Department and MMIW Indian Capital were both honored, and Joshua Poahway received recognition as Indigenous Mentor and Coach of the Year. The ceremony offered a moment for reflection on the history that shapes Lawton and the surrounding area, from the Wichita Mountains to the everyday life of a town built alongside Fort Sill.

Cameron University extended the day with its own slate of programming, including a cedar blessing, a roundtable discussion, and a keynote address from Kim TallBear, a professor of American Indian Studies at the University of Minnesota. The combination of city and university events gave residents multiple ways to participate, learn and connect with the heritage that runs through Comanche County. What stood out most to you from this year’s Indigenous Peoples Day events?