Misplaced Pages

#963036

57-645: The group was founded in 1987 with Hanay Geiogamah as director and Barbara Schwei as producer. Raoul Trujillo served as choreographer and co-director. The creation of the company resulted from the success of a previous production led by Geiogamah and Schwei the previous year. The group includes members from many different tribal backgrounds. Their first performance was in Washington, D.C. at Ford's Theater. It made its New York City debut in 1989 in Manhattan's Joyce Theater . They tour to various locations including

114-644: A National Historic Landmark , the highest classification. Lawton was the former home to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry , a basketball team. The team moved in 2007 from Oklahoma City to Lawton, where they won two Continental Basketball Association championships and a Premier Basketball League championship. In 2011, the Cavalry ceased operations in their second year in the PBL. Lawton operates 80 parks and recreation areas in varying sizes, including

171-663: A gross domestic product of $ 4.2 billion produced in 2008, with a majority ($ 2.1 billion) in the government sector, primarily associated with the military. Fort Sill is the largest employer in Lawton, with more than 5,000 full-time employees. In the private sector, the largest employer is Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company with 2,400 full-time employees. Some major employers in the Lawton area also include: Lawton Public Schools , Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Southwestern Hospital, City of Lawton, Cameron University , and Bar S Foods. Lawton has developed two major industrial parks . One

228-537: A bachelor's degree in theatre with a minor in journalism. Geiogamah also worked as the public affairs liaison for Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce within the Bureau of Indian Affairs under President Richard Nixon . In late 1971, Geiogamah formed a theater company at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City's East Village . La MaMa was the first all-Native repertory theater company in

285-527: A household in the city was $ 41,566, and for a family was $ 50,507. Males had a median income of $ 36,440 versus $ 31,825 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 20,655. About 16.6% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 33.5% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over. Lawton is primarily centered on government, manufacturing, and retail trade industries. The Lawton MSA ranks fourth in Oklahoma with

342-743: A series that looked both positive and negative depictions of the Hollywood Indian . Geiogamah serves on the National Film Preservation Board established in 1988 as an advisory body to the Librarian of Congress ' National Film Registry . He was a founder and co-director of "Project HOOP" (Honoring Our Origins and Peoples), a national, multidisciplinary initiative to establish Native American theater in tribal colleges, Native communities, K-12 schools, and mainstream institutions. Lawton, Oklahoma Lawton

399-651: Is a Native American playwright, television and movie producer, and artistic director. He is a professor emeritus of the school of theater, film, and television at the University of California, Los Angeles . He also served as the director of the UCLA American Indian Studies Center from 2002 to 2009. Geiogamah was born in Oklahoma and is Kiowa and a Delaware Nation descendant. He is a widely known Native American playwright and one of

456-588: Is a city in and the county seat of Comanche County , in the U.S. state of Oklahoma . Located in western Oklahoma, approximately 87 mi (140 km) southwest of Oklahoma City , it is the principal city of the Lawton, Oklahoma, metropolitan statistical area . According to the 2020 census , Lawton's population was 90,381, making it the sixth-largest city in the state, and the largest in Western Oklahoma . Developed on former reservation lands of

513-625: Is located in the southwest region of town, while the second is located near the Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport . In 2010, the city of Lawton was engaged in the Downtown Revitalization Project. Its goal is to redesign the areas between Elmer Thomas Park at the north through Central Mall to the south to be more visually appealing and pedestrian-friendly to encourage business growth in the area. Lawton had 35,374 employed civilians as of

570-504: Is located squarely in the area known as Tornado Alley and is prone to severe weather from late April through early June. Most notably, an F4 tornado in 1957, and an F3 tornado in 1979 struck the southern region of the city. As of the census of 2010, 96,867 people, 34,901 households, and 22,508 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,195.4 inhabitants per square mile (461.5/km ). The 39,409 housing units averaged 486.3 per square mile (187.8/km ). The racial makeup of

627-691: The Kiowa , Comanche , and Apache peoples, Lawton was incorporated in 1901. It was named after Major General Henry Ware Lawton , who served in the Civil War, where he earned the Medal of Honor , and was killed in action in the Philippine–American War . Lawton's landscape is typical of the Great Plains , with flat topography and gently rolling hills, while the area north of the city is marked by

SECTION 10

#1732793743964

684-956: The Mississippi River . The southern part of this territory was originally assigned to the Choctaw and Chickasaw . Following the Civil War, during which most of the Southeast tribes had allied with the Confederacy, in 1867, the United States required new treaties of peace. In 1867, under the Medicine Lodge Treaty , it allotted the southwest portion of former Choctaw and Chickasaw lands to the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache tribes. It had forced them to move out of East Texas and nearby areas of Arkansas. Fort Sill

741-671: The PBS television series Great Performances / Dance in America . Barbara Schwei and Hanay Geiogamah were producers and Phil Lucas and Geiogamah were directors. The program was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award . Geiogamah served as producer and co-producer for the TBS multimedia project, The Native Americans: Behind the Legends, Beyond the Myths , aired on TNT from 1993 to 1996. The program

798-917: The Smithsonian Institution , Michigan State University Museum , and Chicago's Field Museum. The National Register of Historic Places lists places in Lawton, including the Mattie Beal House , the Carnegie Library , the First Christian Church , the First Presbyterian Church of Lawton , the Mahoney-Clark House , and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South . Old Fort Sill has been designated as

855-628: The Wichita Mountains . The city's proximity to the Fort Sill Military Reservation , formerly the base of the Apache territory before statehood, gave Lawton economic and population stability throughout the 20th century. Although Lawton's economy is still largely dependent on Fort Sill, it has grown to encompass manufacturing, higher education, health care, and retail. The city has a council-manager government ;

912-689: The state senate , Lawton is in District 31 (Chris Kidd) and 32 (Dusty Deevers). In the House , District 62 (Daniel Pae), 63 (Trey Caldwell), and 64 (Rande Worthen) cover the city. Cameron University is the largest four-year, state-funded university in southwest Oklahoma, offering more than 50 degree programs in areas of business, education, liberal arts, and science and technology. Founded in 1909, Cameron has an average fall enrollment of 6,000 students, with 70 endowed faculty positions. Other colleges in Lawton include Comanche Nation College . Founded in 2004,

969-820: The 1970s, the Native American Theatre Ensemble toured throughout the United States and Germany. Students from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico , accompanied the Ensemble on their February–April 1973 tour, during which they performed at the University of New Mexico , the College of Santa Fe , Haskell Indian Junior College , and the Smithsonian Institutution among other locations. Their music

1026-501: The 2010 Census, and 49.1% were female. Of the civilian workers, 21,842 (61.7%) were private for-profit wage and salary workers. Of the for-profit wage and salary workers, 659 (1.9% of the total Lawton civilian workforce) were employees of their own corporations. The nonprofit sector had 2,571 (7.3%) private nonprofit wage and salary workers. The government sector included 4,713 (13.3%) federal workers, 2,545 (7.2%) state government workers, and 2,160 (6.1%) local government workers. In addition,

1083-650: The Dawes Act. Under other legislation, the United States through the Dawes Commission allotted communal lands as plots to individual households of tribal members, selling off what remained as "surplus". These actions extinguished the tribal claims to communal lands, a condition needed for the admission of Oklahoma as a state in 1907. After these changes, the legislature of the new state began to organize counties. Three 320-acre sites in Kiowa , Caddo and Comanche counties were selected for county seats. Lawton

1140-741: The French exerted nominal control over the Oklahoma region as part of French Louisiana . The largest French settlements were along the Gulf Coast, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. The limited interaction between the Native American and European peoples was based on fur trading . In 1803, the French sold this territory as Louisiana Purchase to the US, under President Thomas Jefferson . European Americans continued to migrate into

1197-591: The Lawton City Council annexed several square miles of land on the city's east, northeast, west, and northwest borders, expanding east beyond the East Cache Creek area and west to 82nd Street. On 1 March 1964, the north section of the H. E. Bailey Turnpike was completed, connecting Lawton directly to Oklahoma City, the capital. The south section of the turnpike leading to the Texas border

SECTION 20

#1732793743964

1254-643: The Native American heritage. Geiogamah noted in one interview that the performances act in opposition to Hollywood depictions and inaccurate media, ensuring the dances are authentic, but also educational. He also created a system to categorize the different types of American Indian dances that stem from 430 tribes in the U.S. A few examples of the tribes include the Zuni, Yakima, Warm Springs, Apache, Assiniboine, Navajo, Sioux, Cherokee, Cheyenne, Chippewa, Comanche, Southern Ute, Cree, Creek, Crow, Kiowa, Hidatsa, and Delaware. Geiogamah researches and combines different elements of

1311-495: The Southeast and across the Mississippi River into Indian territories, especially seeking territory to expand cotton cultivation, which was a lucrative commodity crop. They pressured the government to give them access to Indian lands. In 1830, under President Andrew Jackson , Congress passed the Indian Removal Act , which removed American Indian tribes from the Southeast and relocated them to Indian Territory west of

1368-780: The United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812 . In 1996, Geiogamah was producer for TNT's "Crazy Horse," about the war leader of the Oglala Lakota . Geiogamah was co-executive producer for The Only Good Indian , an independently produced Western starring Cherokee actor Wes Studi . The movie premiered in 2009 at the Sundance Film Festival . In 2010, Geiogamah joined co-host Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies for "Race in Hollywood: Native American Images on Film",

1425-1025: The United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. In 2006, American Indian Dance Theater joined a multicultural consortium called the "Cultural Roundtable" at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in order to attract various audiences in the downtown Los Angeles area. Other performance groups belonging to the Cultural Roundtable include the Latino Theater Company , Playwrights' Arena , Robey Theatre Company , Culture Clash and Cedar Grove OnStage . The company aims to tackle stereotypes and allow for an understanding of their culture through different platforms, such as live performances, television, and films. Their performances include both ceremonial and seasonal dances that all tell stories of

1482-544: The city council members are elected from single-member districts and the mayor is elected at-large . They hire a professional city manager to direct daily operations. Interstate 44 and three major United States highways serve the city, Lawton-Fort Sill Regional Airport connects Lawton by air, while Greyhound Lines and the Lawton Area Transit System provide intercity and local bus service respectively. The territory of present-day Oklahoma

1539-484: The city council, which approves ordinances, resolutions, and contracts. The city is divided into eight wards , or single-member districts . Each ward elects a single city council representative for a three-year term. The mayor, who is elected at-large every three years, presides and sets the agenda of the City Council, but is primarily ceremonial as a head of government. The administrative day-to-day operation of

1596-481: The city had 1,634 (4.6%) self-employed workers and unpaid family workers. In May, Lawton Arts for All, Inc hosts the Arts for All Festival. The festival includes several judged art competitions, as well as live entertainment. The festival is typically held at Shepler Park. In late September, The International Festival is held in the city. Founded in 1979, the event showcases the many different cultures, arts, and music of

1653-541: The city is headed by the City Manager , who is appointed by the City Council. As of January 2024, the mayor of Lawton was Stan Booker. As of January 2022, the city manager was Michael Cleghorn. Lawton is the county seat of Comanche County, and houses county offices and courts. Three elected commissioners serving four-year terms manage the county government. At the federal level, Lawton lies in Oklahoma's 4th congressional district , represented by Tom Cole . In

1710-565: The city was 60.3% White, 21.4% African American, 4.7% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 3.4% from other races, and 4.9% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 12.6% (7.8% Mexican, 2.8% Puerto Rican, 0.3% Panamanian). Of the 34,901 households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.8% were married couples living together, 15.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.5% were not families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals, and 2.3% had someone living alone who

1767-600: The community. Lawton has three public museums. The Museum of the Great Plains is dedicated to natural history and early settlement of the Great Plains, particularly by European Americans. Outdoor exhibits include a replica of the Red River Trading Post, the original Blue Beaver schoolhouse, and Elgin Train Depot with a Frisco locomotive. The Fort Sill Museum, located on the military base of

American Indian Dance Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue

1824-520: The company was featured in PBS ' Great Performances in the segment "The American Indian Dance Theater: Finding the Circle". The New York Times praised the performance saying that the "hallmark of this company is its authenticity" with "serious artists conveying basic facts of their lives and cultures." In 1993, the company was produced as a segment for Dances for the New Generations for

1881-400: The concept of warriors came to be. The group has been nominated for both a Grammy and Emmy award. In 1993, they had an Emmy nomination in the category "Outstanding Children's Program." The company was mentioned as inspirations for other tribal dance groups, such as Indigenous Enterprise, due to their influential means of story-telling. Hanay Geiogamah Hanay Geiogamah (born 1945)

1938-696: The constantly hot and dry summer. Frequent strong winds, usually from the south or south-southeast during the summer, help to lessen the hotter weather. Northerly winds during the winter can occasionally intensify cold periods. The average mean temperature for southwest Oklahoma is 62.6 °F (17.0 °C). The summers can be mildly hot; Lawton averages 21 days with temperatures 100 °F (37.8 °C) and above. The winters are typically mild, though periods of extreme cold can occur. Lawton averages eight days that fail to rise above freezing. The city receives about 31.6 inches (800 mm) of precipitation and less than 3 in (10 cm) of snow annually. Lawton

1995-455: The country and changed its name to the Native American Theatre Ensemble in 1973 because "too many non-Indians who approached us during [our] tours [and] after performances … seemed unable to understand that we were real people, really alive and breathing, and that we were certified residents of the United States of America." Geiogamah's first play with the company was Body Indian, in 1972, followed by Coon Cons Coyote and Foghorn (1973). In

2052-412: The dances to form new content while still keeping the authenticity and meaning of the originals alive. These dances also involve music and costumes with a large focus on tradition. One distinct feature of this group is that the dancers involved originate from 20 different tribes. Within the performances, there are dancers, drummers, and singers, and there is large focus on details such as the animal masks,

2109-511: The direct ancestors of the historic Caddoan-language peoples who inhabited the larger region, including the Caddo and the Wichita peoples. In the 16th century, Spanish explorer Francisco Vásquez de Coronado visited in 1541, beginning European contact. Around the 1700s, two tribes from the north, the Comanche and Kiowa, migrated to the Oklahoma and Texas regions. For most of the 18th century,

2166-539: The few Native American producers of both television and film in Hollywood. Geiogamah was born in Lawton , Oklahoma to a Kiowa father and a Delaware mother. He is an enrolled citizen of the Kiowa Indian Tribe of Oklahoma . He graduated from Anadarko High School and studied journalism at the University of Oklahoma . In 1979, he enrolled at Indiana University Bloomington . He graduated in 1980 with

2223-562: The largest - Elmer Thomas Park. The Lawton branch of the YMCA offers a wide variety of recreational programs to members, and the Lawton Country Club maintains an 18-hole, par 71 golf course. Recreation can also be found in many amateur leagues, including adult softball, youth baseball, soccer, softball, and volleyball. Lawton uses the council–manager model of municipal government. The city's primary authority resides in

2280-467: The late 1950s, the city purchased large parcels of land along East Cache Creek in northern Comanche County for the construction of a dam and human-made lake, built in 1959 on the creek just north of U.S. 277 west of Elgin. Lake Ellsworth , named for a former Lawton mayor, soft-drink bottler C.R. Ellsworth, was dedicated in the early 1960s. It offered additional water resources, but also recreational opportunities and flood control along Cache Creek. In 1966,

2337-631: The northern sections of the city. In the south sections of the city, Permian Garber Sandstone is commonly found with some Hennessey Group shale . Area creeks including East Cache Creek contain deposits of Quaternary alluvium . To the northwest, the Wichita Mountains consist primarily of Wichita Granite Group from the Cambrian period. Lawton lies in a relatively dry humid subtropical climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfa ), with frequent variations in weather daily, except during

American Indian Dance Theatre - Misplaced Pages Continue

2394-463: The number of people assigned there and its scope of activities. Lawton expects a continuing benefit of population and economic growth over the course of the next 20 years. Lawton is the fifth-largest city in Oklahoma.. The city has a total area of 75.1 sq mi (195 km ), all land. Lawton is located about 84 mi (135 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. Other surrounding cities include Wichita Falls about 47 mi (76 km) to

2451-515: The region in which it is performed, but the underlying theme of maturity and growth is still present within each. The Hoop Dance comes from a legend in which a man who was dying aspired to leave a mark on earth and was given the opportunity to obtain more hoops for every natural form he was able to recreate. Another notable dance performed by the American Indian Dance Theatre includes "The Warrior Prepares," which explains how

2508-534: The same name, includes the old Fort Sill corral and several period buildings, including the old post guardhouse, chapel, and barracks. It also features several artillery pieces. The old fort is designated as a National Historic Landmark . The Comanche National Museum and Cultural Center, operated by the Comanche Nation Tribe , focuses on exhibits and art relating to the Comanche culture. The museum also hosts traveling American Indian exhibitions from

2565-438: The south, Duncan about 33 mi (53 km) to the east, and Altus about 56 mi (90 km) to the west. Lawton lies in an area typical of the Great Plains , with prairie, few trees, and flat topography with gently rolling hills. The region north of the city consists of the Wichita Mountains , including Mount Scott and Mount Pinchot , the area's highest peaks. The area consists mostly of Permian limestone on

2622-538: The traditional jewelry, and handmade feathered and beaded costumes. Some notable events include the Pillow debut performance in which the company collaborated with two Hawaiian groups in 1995 and 1998. Another includes performances with the titles "Eagle Dance" and "Hoop Dance" in which the stories of creation are told and communicated through the sign language of the Native peoples. The Eagle Dance tends to vary depending on

2679-637: The tribes to Indian Territory in June 1875. In 1891, the United States Congress appointed a commission to meet with the tribal leaders and come to an agreement allowing White settlement. Years of controversy and legal maneuvering ensued before President William McKinley issued a proclamation on 4 July 1901, that gave the federal government control over 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km ) of "surplus" Indian lands that remained after allotments of communal tribal lands to individual households under

2736-479: The widely acclaimed American Indian Dance Theatre , which gave its first public performance in 1987 with Geiogamah as director and Barbara Schwei as producer. The 24-member dance troupe represented about 18 Indian nations and toured both nationally and internationally. The dancers wore traditional costumes and the music was performed on traditional instruments made by the performers. The group made their New York City debut in 1989 in Manhattan's Joyce Theater . In 1990,

2793-449: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.08. In the city, the population was distributed as 24.9% under the age of 18, 15.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 108.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males. The median income for

2850-555: Was a series of fact-based historical dramas and publications. Geiogamah was co-producer on "The Broken Chain", which told the story of the Iroquois Confederacy during colonial times, and also for "Geronimo" (executive produced by Norman Jewison ). In 1994, he was co-producer for "Lakota Woman: Return to Wounded Knee", and a year later he was co-producer for "Tecumseh", the story of the Shawnee leader who fought against

2907-501: Was active until 1922. Similarly, the US response in World War II stimulated activity and expansion at Fort Sill and Lawton. The city's population increased from 18,055 to 34,757 from 1940 to 1950. By the 1960s, it had reached 61,697. In the postwar period, Lawton underwent tremendous growth during the late 1940s and 1950s, leading city officials to seek additional water sources to supplement existing water from Lake Lawtonka. In

SECTION 50

#1732793743964

2964-520: Was completed on April 23, 1964. Urban-renewal efforts in the 1970s transformed downtown Lawton. A number of buildings dating to the city's founding were demolished to build an enclosed shopping mall , which was believed to provide a suburban attraction for shoppers. On June 23, 1998, the city expanded when Lawton annexed neighboring Fort Sill. The Base Realignment and Closure of 2005 resulted in reassignment of people from other bases and consolidation of some military activities at Fort Sill, increasing

3021-420: Was designated as the Comanche County seat. The town was named for Major General Henry W. Lawton , a quartermaster at Fort Sill, who had taken part in the pursuit and capture of Comanche chief Geronimo . The city was opened to settlement through an auction of town lots beginning on 6 August 1901, which was completed 60 days later. By 25 September 1901, the Rock Island Railroad expanded to Lawton and

3078-412: Was established in 1869 after the American Civil War and commanded by Major General Philip Sheridan . He was leading a campaign in Indian Territory to stop raids into Texas by American Indian tribes. In 1874, the Red River War broke out in the region when the Comanche, Kiowa, and Southern Cheyenne left their Indian Territory reservation. Attrition and skirmishes by the US Army finally forced the return of

3135-463: Was long settled by ancient cultures of prehistoric American Indians, including the Clovis , 11500 BCE ; Folsom , 10600 BCE; and Plainview , 10000 BCE cultures. The valleys of the Arkansas River and Red River were the center of Caddoan Mississippian culture , which began to develop about 800 CE. The people developed more dense settlement and a complex architecture of earthwork platform mounds. Archeological evidence has shown that these people were

3192-435: Was presented in both the traditional and contemporary American Indian forms and songs were selected from the Plains, Eastern, Great Basin, Southwest, and Northwest Coast areas of Indian Country." In 1980, the University of Oklahoma Press published Geiogamah's New Native American Drama: Three Plays . The Native American Theatre Ensemble produced Geiogamah's final play, 49 (1975) in 1982 at La MaMa. Geiogamah later formed

3249-406: Was soon joined by the Frisco Line . The first city elections were held 24 October 1901. The United States' entry into World War I accelerated development at Fort Sill and Lawton. The availability of 5 million US gallons (19,000 m ) of water from Lake Lawtonka , just north of Fort Sill, was a catalyst for the War Department to establish a major cantonment named Camp Doniphan . It

#963036