David Yeagley is the great-great-grandson of Comanche leader Bad Eagle. 
The nominations for Chairman of the Comanche Nation are not until mid-April (2012), so there are three months in which to establish long-range, critical issues for the future life of the nation. I, David A. Yeagley, pending nomination, will run for the office of Chairman, but even now, I will continue to urge the issues.
It takes time for new ideas to circulate among the numunuh (the people) and to become established concepts. In spite of a severe penchant for tradition, Comanche people have always been trendy, riding the wind, always curious about new things. It may take three to five years for some of my ideas to be understood and valued. It may take only a few months for other ideas. The point of my campaign is to make new ideas a part of the people. In this way, they will eventually become the law of the tribe. I doubt that I myself will arbitrate or administer, in a governing position, but, when the people are truly determined to have something, they will demand it of whomever is in office. Therefore, it behooves me to get the ideas circulating among the people now, so that Wallace Coffey–no doubt our next chairman, will consider them!
Here are more of my ideas:
The Comanche Nation College, unaccredited after a decade, devouring nearly $2 million a year of the nation’s budget, must be changed into a technical institution, or a trade school. Most Comanches simply cannot afford college. Their lives are not amenable to four years of academic life. A trade school, where a young person can learn a skill, get a license, and begin work in the real world, is what the nation needs. Accreditation for a trade school is much easier to attain, and a technical school would attract many more students, and they would succeed in obtaining their desired qualification.
The Comanche Nation is in dire need of a tribal court–one which operates for all our people, regarding all aspects of our constitution (whatever constitution we end up having), and addresses all ages, from children to the elderly. We need professional judges, attorneys, and clerks. For the money we spend on some of our other programs, it is a public shame that we do not have our own court system.
There are programs in our budget that need to be eliminated as they stand. Chief among these are: Comanche Nation Enterprises ($1 million); Capital Improvement($1,866,606); Economic Development ($700,000); Comanche Nation College ($1,850,000). Other major budget items that need serious reconsideration are: Legal Fees ($500,000); Land Acquisitions ($1,800,000); and numerous smaller items which might be managed under different departments.
I would establish a Comanche Nation Bank. We should have our own currency. This would enable us to keep track of our casino earnings, our tribal business, and to plan our budget more accurately.
At present, we scarcely possess on element of the definition of a sovereign nation. The most basic aspects are absent from our tribe
At this time, the average Comanche does not understand our budget. We have no idea who decides who gets what money, and we are suspicious of everyone whom we think does get money from the tribe. Communication is nearly absent, or profoundly inadequate. Dishonesty and incompetence are often meshed, and the result is gross inefficiency and wasteful bureaucracy. This is unnecessary, and must end.
My goal is to put cash into the hands of the people, individual Comanches, all. I want to see our resources shared equally, as equally as possible. I will reorganized our tribal structure so that there will be no “Comanche jobs.” This arrangement puts great heaps of cash into the hands of very few Comanches. These precious tribal jobs cause nothing but envy, strife, discontent, and resentment among those who don’t hold such positions. Either we enjoy these negative emotions, or else we must be willing to make serious, dramatic changes. Either we prefer complaining, as some vague and shameful imitation of warriorhood, or else we must become real warriors again, and be willing to risk all.
Of course, most of my ideas would be easily implemented if we had a business model for a constitution, instead of the tired, inadequate, and crippling BIA constitution we presently have–imposed on us in 1934. But, in truth, Comanches, like many Indians, are afraid to break away from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, afraid to do something radical, daring, and brave. We’re very timid when it comes to governmental change. Part of this is the penchant for tradition, as mentioned before, but a great part of it is also fear of losing what we have.
As I see it, we’re losing what we have now! Every day. It will take a bold, dashing bit of political soldiery to stay the tide of our national and ethnic erosion. Perhaps many Comanches don’t see it, but we’re slowly bleeding to death as it is! Those who can see the future know that something mighty, something of terrible import, must transpire soon, else we will never be able to turn things around.
Sounds like I’m talking about the United States, doesn’t it. I’m talking about the Comanche Nation. The difference? The United States has a national constitution that the founding fathers created. The Comanches have a flim-flam piece of political invention hoisted upon us by Washington, D.C. bureaucrats, designed to hough our heels and subject us into ethnic, national oblivion. Our Comanche constitution is not ours, not designed for our people, temperament, or our genetic coding. It eliminates our ethos.
Comanches are different. True, we’ve lost a lot of our initiative to be ourselves, as have most American Indians. Assimilation has weakened our spirits enormously. Yet, this is the world we live in. This is our present battlefield.
A warrior of the people doesn’t get to pick his battlefield, or the times in which he makes war, or even the manner in which he must make it. All he can do is respond to the times and the situations.
The Indians nations in America right now are becoming the vortex of all the national issues of the country. Health care, gambling, and even law. The United States government bows to that pestilential foreign influence called Islam. We accommodate more Sharia law every day. Does the United States honor Indian tradition in the same way? Are Indian ways protected?
Do Indians attempt to impose our ways on everyone else, like Muslims? We like our tax-free businesses. Are foreign Muslims on a par with the American Indian? Is their foreign, imported colonist religion to be equated with American Indian nationhood?
This is the kind of outrage that should cause every Indian to go on the warpath. We are insulted, denigrated, and dismissed every day, worse and worse. The integrity of the United States of America actually depends our Indian nations, what we do, what we think, and what we prophesy. A great weight is upon us all. To preserve ourselves is to preserve America. If we don’t preserve ourselves, America is lost, and we lose our highest honors.
We owe it to America to save ourselves.
Vote Yeagley for Comanche Nation Chairman, 2012
Bad Eagle Foundation
P.O.Box 75017
Oklahoma City, OK 73147
14 responses so far ↓
1 David Yeagley // Jan 15, 2012 at 5:55 pm
The financial figures mentioned above were taken from the proposed 2012 Comanche budget, as published in the March 2011 edition of The Comanche Nation News, not currently online. (I hold the hard copy in my hands.)
2 Front Page | ComancheMedia // Jan 15, 2012 at 9:46 pm
[...] Vote Yeagley: New Comanche Ways [...]
3 JollyGreen // Jan 15, 2012 at 10:36 pm
Dr. Yeagley,
I appreciate your concerns, advocacy, and ideas to enrich the lives of your tribal family. May God bless you.
I cannot, nor will not, attempt to pontificate on most of the issues that you bring up. I am not Comanche, and therefore wholly unqualified to add my opinions to the mix.
However, I do have an opinion on Comanche Nation College. Years ago, as a graduate student at another institution, I was attempting to secure an interview with a tribal leader that could explain Comanche religious beliefs. I was writing a paper that required this. It was suggested that I contact “Dr. P.” who was a big wig. I finally reached him on the phone and explained my situation. He promised to call me back. He didn’t, and never returned my future calls.
Now, not because of his attitude, but because of personal observations and talk around town, I have surmised that CNC is a substandard institution compared to Cameron University and other local institutions.
With regards to your suggesting that it could be turned into a trade school; I believe that it would not be successful because it would have to compete with the state-funded Great Plains Vo-Tech there, which has many good programs. However, if they limited their programs to programs that would directly benefit the Comanche Nation such as Black Jack dealers and Slot Machine technicians, then they may be granted some success. So sorry, I could not resist.
Of course, all sarcastic wit aside, I wish you and your people the very best.
4 David Yeagley // Jan 15, 2012 at 10:48 pm
Excellent observations.
On the vo-tech bit, Comanches would go to a Comanche vo-tech school. The idea is independence. If we had cheaper tuition, maybe some non-Comanches would come to a Comanche vo-tech.
But your ever so right about making vo-tech programs that are specifically pertinent to Comanche people. This is an excellent idea.
5 JollyGreen // Jan 15, 2012 at 11:25 pm
For example, I noticed that there is one funeral home that offers services to native people. Imagine a funeral sciences program that could prepare Indian students to be able to provide funeral services across tribal lines. A long shot, but a little inter-tribal cooperation in building such a program could perhaps one day launch a network of native funeral home providers that could be culturally sensitive to native beliefs and practices, as well as to provide less expensive services than the corporate greed-driven funeral industry. Having buried 3 loved ones in the last three years, I see what a ripoff that most funeral providers are.
Perhaps the students would be exempt from some requirements if they operate on native lands, thus making such a program more trade centered than “Mortuary Science” centered.
Again, I am clueless. But I have noticed things as a former Lawtonian.
6 Pamela // Jan 15, 2012 at 11:25 pm
“Do Indians attempt to impose our ways on everyone else, like Muslims?”-David Yeagley
No! Unlike other ethnic groups in our society, the American Indians have basically kept to themselves Although integration has effected Indian Country, preservation of race and culture seems to be high on the list of priorities for many American Indians. I think cutting the apron strings from Washington is long overdue and would benefit the tribes immensely!
I was rather surprised recently to learn that some people consider the Indians, “America’s first Communists”. This is what is being taught to our young people by derelict professors in some American colleges and universities. I think this is far worse than the fractured fairy tales about the Saracens (Muslim invaders) being responsible for and contributing to the European Renaissance!
Ever since the original Thirteen Colonies gained their independence from England, European intellectuals have promoted communist ideas here. They believed that civilization cannot exist without some overseeing force or Politburo in control of everyone and everything. This is one of the reasons why Islam and Communism ,as well as Socialism, often flourish side by side like Siamese twins, the only difference being that Communists are slaves to the State, while Muslims bow in submission to the capricious whims of their murderous god, Allah. The main goal of both groups is to eclipse the God-given freedom of each individual man and woman on the planet.
On the contrary, the noble American Indians were free people, roaming unfettered through the vast uncharted wilderness of this country for thousands of years, long before any white man ever set foot on this soil. Each tribe had it’s own set of rules and although some tribes fought other tribes, there was no centralized government in control of their lives. It was only after the white Europeans came here that the Indians became subjected to a set of the rules imposed on them by a centralized federal government.
The less intrusion into our lives from the federal and state governments, the better off we all will be. The main function of government should be to protect the interests of the American people, to keep and defend our Constitution, and to keep us safeguarded from enemies, both foreign and domestic. And that’s it.
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7 JollyGreen // Jan 15, 2012 at 11:30 pm
The first part of my previous post, #5, did not carry over.
When I said that there is only one funeral provider for native people, I was speaking of Lawton, OK, and for the Comanche people.
Otherwise, I think you get my idea.
8 REG // Jan 16, 2012 at 9:08 am
Pamela “while Muslims bow in submission to the capricious whims of their murderous god, Allah.” I don’t want to sound argumentative but, there is a problem with this concept. “Sharia Law is not a religion but a civil government” Sharia is made up of things that Mohammad and Clerics said Muslims should do, rarely are they spoken of as ‘Allah’ said. Communism is made up of “Marx said or one of the other Communist founders said” the reason that Communism or Socialism thrive alongside Sharia is that both have much in common; both are man made social programs. Women’s rights would go out the window in a heartbeat if they didn’t need the vote. 200 hundred years ago most Muslim countries allowed women many rights and then Wahhabi started a movement back to the sixth century about a hundred years ago. Everything comes down to good leadership. I think it was John Adams that said, good government depends on good moral citizens and leaders. So, what the Comanche and US citizens need is a restoration of honesty and honest leadership. Dr. Yeagley is a good start for the Comanche.
9 David Yeagley // Jan 16, 2012 at 3:36 pm
Wallace Coffey, former chairman, and whom I believe will be the next chairman, again, expressed open concern about the fact that the Christian faith and values were not being communicated to our next generation of Comanches. This concerns me gravely.
Wallace Coffey
10 Pamela // Jan 16, 2012 at 6:20 pm
Mr. Coffey is right. There is an all out assault against evangelical Christianity across America, which is specifically targeting the next generation.
The recent explosion of interest in the occult, is one example of the spiritual battle being fought for the soul of America’s children. The New Age Movement is nothing new at all. The Enemy never changes his modus operandi of death by deception. Only now the stakes are higher and the violence and deception is rapidly increasing because Satan knows he is running out of time, and he is determine to take as many souls into hell with him as possible before the end of this age.
During the past two decades, many children have grown up reading and watching the Harry Potter books and series of movies and believe it is perfectly natural to practice witchcraft and to cast spells on people or to summon demons to do their bidding.
More recently, the “Twilight” series of books and movies has made a significant impact on teenagers and young adults. Vampires are no longer portrayed as foul, blood-sucking ghouls in the tradition of Stoker, but as heroes who fall in love, marry mortal women, and even father babies, who turn out to be vampires themselves.
And then there are movies the “Paranormal Activity” series which are also geared towards teen-agers and young adults, about families being terrorized-especially their children-by demonic forces in their homes.
Meanwhile, AMC has scored big with it’s gory paean to flesh-eating zombies with “The Walking Dead” series.
Even Nickelodeon has gotten into the act with it’s recent occult program, “House of Anubis” which centers around a group of teens living in a house named for the Egyptian god and protector of the dead.
To dismiss these books and movies and television programs as merely the newest forms of entertainment is both disturbing and dangerous. Human beings are not just flesh and blood, we are spiritual creatures. It is imperative that parents and guardians of children and teens realize that when they allow violent video games, or these horror movies and literature into their homes, they are opening doors into the spirit realm and inviting demonic activity into their lives and the lives of their children.
The Word of God is clear:
“For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood, contending only with physical opponents, but against the despotisms, against the powers, against the master spirits who are the world rulers of this present darkness, and against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly, (supernatural) sphere.” Ephesians 6:12
11 David Yeagley // Jan 16, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Isn’t there also a marked failure of some kind of the past generation? Why is the younger generation not into the faith? What is it about us that made them disinterested? You’re saying it is the outside assault. No one can deny that, for sure. I’m just thinking we somehow failed, also.
(I gotta get in on that guilt! Makes me feel so significant!)
12 Pamela // Jan 16, 2012 at 8:56 pm
When I was a little girl in the early 1970′s I lived within walking distance of Glassboro State College. I remember seeing graffiti scrawled on the back of a building there one day announcing that. “God is Dead”. I remember I felt shocked that anyone would write something like that on a wall for all the world to see. Today, I still wonder why the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche were so widely appealing to the young people of that generation. Did saying or thinking “God is Dead” somehow make them feel better about themselves or superior to Him? Or, was this just part of their youthful rebellion against the social mores and conventions of their parents’ generation?
unfortunately, it seems to me that succeeding generations of young people have slowly but steadily embraced the ideas of secular humanism instead of the wisdom of God.I first encountered secular humanism in Catholic elementary school when my teacher told me that the Bible was a book of fairy-tales and the laws of the Church were more important than the Word of God.
Aside from the Roman Catholic Church, many institutionalized churches in America have also embraced the credos of secular humanism and the false gospel of social justice instead of believing in and adhering to the Word of God. Today, children are not only growing up without God, but are being steadily indoctrinated into forced volunteerism, which is rooted in Communism, yet is appeals to them as being a humanitarian action.
13 David Yeagley // Jan 16, 2012 at 9:50 pm
Wow. The Catholic school marms told you that the Bible was fairy tales? Or folklore? Not to be believed? That’s tough. That’s really tough.
14 Maharishi of Mayhem // Jan 17, 2012 at 9:21 am
Yes, the RC’s love to demote the Bible to a book of mythical symbolisms that point to the salvation offered not by Christ, but by the church.
Several years ago, I reluctantly agreed to attend an Alpha Group with a relative at an RC Church. I attended not as a seeker, but because my relative asked me to go. I was told that the RC’s were now promoting personal Bible study. As a former RC, this was something that I had to see.
Well, it was horrible. At the end, this snot-nosed priest got up and said that the Genesis flood was a Bible myth. He explained that the “Ark” was actually the saving hands of the RC Church being guided to save haven in the arms of Mary (the water).
Dr. Y….”God ain’t dead.” But with bunk like that being floated by the largest “supposed Christian” denomination in the world, I can see why most young people (including your tribe), can’t see the viability of the Christian hope that we “old schoolers” hold.
God help us all.
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