Comanche leader recognized as a role model

NORMAN — A noted Comanche educator, activist and tribal leader was recently recognized as being an outstanding role model for Native American Students.

During the Oklahoma Native American Students in Higher Education conference Feb. 9-10 in Norman, Dr. Cornel Pewewardy received the 2024 Outstanding Role Model Award. The award recognizes individuals who have displayed a lifelong, outstanding contribution to teaching, research, and community service to Native American college students.

Pewewardy was nominated by former students, colleagues and community leaders. His portfolio in education also included significant change in the Oklahoma legislation and raised awareness about self- determination in Oklahoma public school spaces.

Joining Pewewardy was fellow Kansas State University College of Education doctoral student Kelly Berry, who received the Outstanding Graduate Student Award. The pair co-presented three times at the conference: “Indigenous Charter Schools in Oklahoma: Recent Developments and Perspectives,” “Leveraging Educational Sovereignty in STEAM Fields Statrts With Us: Exploring Scholastic Gaming Within Indian Country,” and “The Hunt for Red Pedagogy: Infusing the Transformational Indigenous Leadership Model to Reclaim and Indigenize the Academy.”

Pewewardy, who serves as the Comanche Nation Business Committee Vice-Chairman, has spent a lifetime in academia with a focus on stimulating change in Indigenous education as well as helping spur changes in law, policy and organizational and community practices.

An activist through his life, Pewewardy began his campaign for social justice among those in the American Indian Movement who occupied Wounded Knee, S.D., in 1973.