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"Q"
MY SISTERS
TINA FLORA SUE SONYA
WALLACE COFFEY CHEIF OF THE COMANCHES
Wallace Coffey, great, great grandson of Ten Bears, has served two terms as chairman of the Comanche Nation. I wish to offer this brief commentary as a gesture of appreciation. Positive assessments after a man is out of office are no substitute for support when he's in office. Aftermath essays are like eulogies, Cast wreathes when the man can wear them?
When I returned to
Wallace doesn't get mad at people, even people who lie about him, malign him, or work against him. That's rule number one. Now, he'll take action, but I don't get the impression it's ever with malice or vengeance. Only when I began to accept this way within myself, did I begin to notice it, and appreciate it, in Wallace. It is the nature of a Comanche leader today that he must endure constant and malicious criticism, along with phantasm accusations. And he must endure it with patience and a smile. Wallace has done this with exquisite kindness. It is remarkable. I've seen it, again and again, with my own eyes. I'm aware of the accusations, the opposition. (You can't be Comanche and not be aware.) I just want to say that his ability to handle it gracefully is, in my opinion, what makes him a superior person. That is the lasting impression of the man. He is a gentleman. Whatever else he is, or is believed to be, the final impression of Wallace Coffey as a Comanche leader is that he is a refined man who honestly loves his people--Comanche people.
My mother had something to say about Comanche men. She wrote down a lot of notes in her old age. In 2001, at the age of 79, she wrote of "the elegant Indian male," who would never "openly dispute at social or business meetings." She must have been thinking about Wallace. The Indian men "do not get upset of they have to wait hours for a meeting to start, or for someone to arrive. The word 'rush' has no meaning to them." She said the Comanche had "no fear but lightning." Yes, she was thinking about Wallace, I'm sure!
I just want to say that, personally, as I have come to know Wallace, to the extent that I know him, he is one of the kindest, most generous, spiritual persons I know among the Comanche people.
I see Wallace Coffey as a model leader. I have told him myself that I simply want to offer who and what I am to the people. It all belongs to them, if they want it. If they don't see any use for it right now, that's okay, too. It's not something to become angry and frustrated about. That's not the true Comanche way. He understood exactly what I was saying, and commended me for it.
Now, I attribute a lot of our social problems to our inept and inappropriate constitution. We have a little Christianity thrown into the mix, historically, but that really only dramatizes our situation. We generally don't behave as Christians around election time. (But, who does?!) Yet, we can never deny ourselves. Whatever the psychological and even social cost, we are Comanche. We live with each other. Those who learn to live with that most effectively, tend to become our leaders.
By David Yeagley
DR DAVID YEAGLEY
COMANCHE COMPOSER
BIOGRAPHY
David A. Yeagley was born in Oklahoma City. He is a direct descendent of Bad Eagle (quin-ne kish-su-it), headman of a Antelope (kwerharenu) Comanche band (1839-1909). Yeagley is an enrolled member of the Comanche Tribe, Lawton, Oklahoma.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Oberlin Conservatory of Music; a Master of Divinity from Yale University; a Master of Arts from Emory University; an Artist Diploma from Hartt School of Music; and a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Arizona. He was a special student (doctoral level) at Harvard, in American Studies.
Yeagley is a classically trained pianist, composer, and lyricist. He has created a new system of harmonic organization, and presented it in a formal lecture in Israel, 1998. There his duet for oboe and bassoon, exemplifying the new tonality, was premiered. Yeagley has written a grand opera based on the story of Jack Eisner, a Holocaust survivor. He has written for solo guitar, Indian flute, chamber groups, voice, and orchestra.
Dr. Yeagley has studied religion, literature, and history. He has written many scholarly research papers, book-length manuscripts, and also epic poetry and fiction. He has written works on Christology, biblical studies, literary criticism (specializing in Poe and Hawthorne), and musicology.
Here is a recent, signed statement from current Comanche Nation Tribal Chairman, Wallace Coffey.
I had the opportunity to talk with David about our Comanche people,David has a very deep concern for the welfare of his Native people,David also expressed to me that he will be more involved with his tribal goverment.David also wants to use his education to help his Comanche people.All these years David has been in the mainstrem of society obtaining his Education but he's never forgotten about his Comanche roots.
Thank you David for sharing a little of your time to talk about our Comanche people and the opportunity for us to claim this histrorical 1920's Comanche/Kiowa Film,we look forward to working with you on this 1920's film project,Thanks for all your doing in helping our Comanche people.
Sincerely, Nick Tahchawwickah
The following article (with photo) appeared in the May issue of The Comanche Nation News, p.26. This newspaper is not current online, so the article is here reproduced for public viewing.
Comanche Composer Commissioned To Write Symphonic Score for Silent Film
News Staff
In December of 2007, the Oklahoma Historical Society commissioned Comanche composer Dr. David A. Yeagley to write the music for a 1920 silent film entitled “Daughter of Dawn.” Yeagley writes symphonic music, and he was commissioned to write a symphonic score for the movie. Yeagley is the first American Indian to be professionally commissioned to write a movie score. The full-length (80 minute) score will be recorded by a professional symphony and released on the DVD of the film. It will also be released as a separate sound track CD.
Dr. David Yeagley. Photo by SKY, 2008
The film, Daughter of Dawn, was made by Norbert Miles, assisted by Charles Simone. It is based on legend and fiction put together in a story by R. E. Banks, who is identified as a person who “lived among the Indians” for twenty-five years. This implies that Banks knew the sons of the free warriors. The Oklahoma Historical Society purchased the film from a private owner. The movie was never released in Hollywood, but instead has remained obscure for a century now. Plans are to release a DVD with music sound track within a year.
The film is an Indian story, and the actors are all Indian. There are Comanche and Kiowa Indians alive today who are the descendents and family of actors in the movie. Saupitty, Lebarr, Toyebo, Cozad, Yellow Wolf, and Parker are among the names of the families represented in the film. It is the first full-length feature using all Indian actors, and portrays an Indian story. It was filmed in the Wichita Mountains, and includes an actual herd of buffalo and a hunt. The Indians ride bare-back, of course, and their clothing and mannerisms are surely authentic. 1920 is not far removed from the days of the free warriors. There are various historical aspects of the movie still being researched by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Yeagley hopes to introduce the film first to the families of the Indian actors. The plan is to have a private showing to the families and the tribal leaders. The film is historical, and deserves to be considered quite seriously.
"It is the Comanche people who have right to know about this project, and who have a right to endorse it," said Yeagley.
The film and the music will be produced regardless. Therefore, it is important that the Comanche people now be given the opportunity to claim what is rightfully theirs. Ownership of the actual film is not the purpose here, but permanent name association.
Here is a list of some of the actores involved. These people have living relatives today among the Comanche and Kiowa. We hope to develop a relationship with them all, and at some point meet with all of them together.
List of Actors and their roles:
White Parker White Eagle
Ester Lebarr Daughter of Dawn
Jack Sankadoty Black Wolf
Alice Apekum extra, Kiowa woman (friend of Red Wing)
Hunting Horse Chief of Kiowa, father of Daughter of Dawn
(Old Man Horse)
Old Man Skinny extra
Wanada Parker Red Wing (lives in Kiowa camp)
Ella Apekum extra, (Kiowa woman, friend of Red Wing)
Saupitty Old Man Saupitty (man in Comanche Camp)
Oscar Yellow Wolf extra, Comanche warrior
Belo Cozad Big Bear, Chief of the Comanche
Slim Toyebo extra (man in Comanche camp)
Old Lady Sunrise extra, old Comanche woman, guard of captive Daughter
As a side note, I will say that I knew nothing about the existence of this film until the last week in November, 2007. I signed the contract December 12, 2007.
I understand that there were other Indians who, somehow, already knew of the film, and anxiously tried to procure the rights to compose the music, but their music was not chosen.
Someone introduced my name to the Oklahoma Historical Society, apparently in November, and I was interviewed in early December. I knew nothing about the film, or the efforts to create a sound track. On the basis of my European recordings (with the Polish National Radio Symphony, the Kiev Philharmonic, and the Moravian Philharmonic--my Phoenix Symphony debut of Wessi vah-peh was in January, 2008), I was selected to compose symphonic music for the background music to the movie.
That's the simple story.
My friend Nick Tahchawwickah, together with Jim Arterberry (Director of NAGPRA, Oklahoma) and other tribal office holders are trying to make sure that the Indian people directly involved in the making of this 1920 silent film are fully informed and participating in the endorsement of this classic, historical film.
My personal goal is to see the name "Comanche Nation" on the label, on the DVD, the final product. Yes, I would invite the Comanche people to vote on any sort of financial participation they may want to make in the production of the DVD. (A professional symphony orchestra must record the 80 minute, non-stop music score. This is a tremendous undertaking.) I want to see the tribal name in print, on the label and on the DVD. It's our people in that film.
There are Kiowa people in the film, too. It in fact is a story that involved a Kiowa band and a Comanche band.
"Q"
