Comanche Nation princess sorority supports each new princess, each other

LAWTON, Okla. – Reflecting on a crowning moment of her life stirs up a mixture of emotions for Jolene Jimenez Schonchin. The quaver in her voice reveals not only the joy of being named Comanche Nation princess in 1988, but also the sadness of no longer having her mom by her side.

“When I won … she just ran up and hugged me so hard, and that was really one of the best times of my life,” Schonchin said of her win and of her late mother Arlene Wockmetooah Jimenez. “She passed away in 1996 and I treasure those memories.”

Schonchin said she was 11 or 12 years old when her mother began prepping her to become a princess. Wockmetooah Jimenez was familiar with the role since she served as Comanche princess in 1945, and the first-hand knowledge she gave her daughter is something that continues to be passed on through a sisterhood formed within the tribe. This sisterhood is the Comanche Nation Princess Sorority.

“The princess sorority was formed so we could help and guide the current princess if she had a question … we could help her because all of us have been in those shoes,” Schonchin said. “We’re their stronghold whenever they need help or support or questions or guidance.”

The group, officially named Comanche Nation Princess, Inc., Sorority, was created in 1995. Former Comanche Nation Director Gaylon Motah is the founder of the sorority and said he thought it would be nice to get all the former princesses back in the arena.

“I wanted to get them in there because I didn’t want them to be forgotten,” Motah said. “I wasn’t looking for no pat on the back, just a sorority for our ladies. They went through a hard year.”

Dorie Jill Parker, the current Comanche Nation Princess Sorority president, said she would attend six to nine powwows on any given weekend during her reign as the 1995 princess. She would not only show her support at Comanche powwows, but also at powwows for neighboring tribes.

“There’s a lot to it,” Parker said of being a princess. “We really do have to work.”

The reigning princess also makes guest appearances, gives speeches, attends tribal events and performs the Lord’s Prayer at different occasions, in addition to attending school and/or working.

Parker said the young ladies today also face different challenges, such as the use and impact of social media. She said with someone always watching them, the young ladies have to remember they no longer represent just themselves. They have to think about everything they do since they are the embodiment of the Nation.

“The Comanche Nation princess is the official ambassador of the Comanche tribe. She represents the culture, she represents the history and most of all I think she represents the pride and the love that we have for being who we are and for our language and everything that entails being Comanche,” Schonchin said. “I think that she represents the Comanches on so many levels.”

The sorority created their own constitution and elects officers, they conduct regular meetings, co-host at powwows, and have helped the community by hosting a food drive.

In 2002, all the officially recognized Comanche Nation princesses were granted their own personalized Comanche Nation vehicle tags, and in 2004 a permanent photographic exhibit of the princesses was dedicated. The exhibit was titled, “Numu Tubiitsi Nia Nuh: Honored by All, Treasured Forever.” Years of research were put into the project, and input was also captured from four former princesses, who are now deceased: Rachiel Martinez Jozhe, Arlene Wockmetooah Jimenez, Isa Attocknie Bravescout and Kimberly Chasenah Cozad. The photographs now line the walls of the Comanche Nation complex.

“They started as a young lady and developed into a princess … and grew in the arena,” Motah said. “I’m proud of them.”

This year the princess sorority celebrated their 25th anniversary. During the Comanche Nation Fair in September, tables were set up for individual members or families with generations of princesses to display their photographs, regalia, banners and crowns. The oldest living sorority member is Esther Riddles Parker, who is the 1939 princess.

The Comanche Nation officially recognized its first princess, the late Rachiel Martinez Jozhe, in 1926. She is the great-granddaughter of Chief Wild Horse, and from 1926 to 1929 she served as Comanche princess during the American Indian Exposition when it was held at Craterville Park, near Cache, Okla. The first Comanche princess to represent the tribe at the expo, once it moved to Anadarko, Okla., was Esther Riddles Parker in 1939.

Schonchin said there is a lot of respect for the older sorority members and they are blessed to have them and learn from them. She said the sorority tries to maintain the traditional customs of the tribe, and she feels they have a legacy of history, culture and protocol within the sorority.

“No matter what, we are representatives of the tribe,” Schonchin said. “There’s a saying: Once a princess, Always a princess.”

The Wockmetooah family has four princesses in their family, including Schonchin and her late mother. Her mom was the founding president of the sorority and Schonchin said she still has her mom’s notes. She keeps them because it’s her mom’s handwriting. Schonchin has also served on the Comanche Nation Princess Sorority board as president, secretary and public information officer.

“I try to stay on the board because of my mom,” Schonchin said. “I know that it was close to my mom’s heart, and I try to stay active and keep it alive.”