This past month an Oklahoma Indian tribe made history in more ways than one.
Traveling through Carnegie, Oklahoma is not unlike many excursions through rural, perceived impoverished, regions of America. Downtown areas with buildings in various states of disrepair, people gathered at a small number of eateries and corner stores talking about politics, their families, and the inevitable discussion on the weather. Headquartered just outside of the downtown area is a tribe, which through a series of historic relocations, ended up in Indian Territory. Throughout the Kiowa Tribe’s well-documented history are strewn the names of great leaders such as Tdohasan, White Bear, Lone Wolf, Kicking Bird, Big Bow, and many others. One thing that they all hold in common is that they are men. This has continued into the contemporary era of tribal leadership amongst the Kiowa along with the reality that these leaders tend to be in the fifty and over age category. Recently, this has changed.
While Kiowa women have always been integral to the workings of the tribe in political, cultural, and social spectrums (regardless of their at times absence from some historical and contemporary records), 37 year old Ah-Keen-Geah-Ah-Lay (Charging After the Enemy) was recently sworn in as the tribe’s first female leader. Her legal name is Amber Toppah and she is the great-great-great granddaughter of Chief Satanta (White Bear). Ah-Keen-Geah-Ah-Lay is the daughter of Carol Bearbow Toppah (Kiowa/Cheyenne) and the late Byron Toppah (Kiowa). She is one of a growing number of younger Kiowas to be obtaining higher education degrees and choosing to work within the at times difficult field of tribal governance.
Recently, I made my way down to the tribal headquarters and asked her permission to mark this historic occasion in an article. She responded in a humble manner and her affirmative answer gave me cause to begin sending questions her way. Her thoughts on leadership included the importance of positive communication, spirituality, passion, and other noteworthy attributes. She remarked on other tribal leaders she has witnessed who were of a youthful age and of those who are women.
The mention of her tribal language brought her back to her grandmother’s involvement in language programming, and other community individuals and organizations which have assisted in these revitalization efforts. She spoke on the goal of economic self-sufficiency and also made remarks on key areas impacting tribal youth with suggestions on how to remedy these issues. She called for consistency and patience in implementing projects as the Kiowa Tribe has been undergoing a “recall culture” in more recent years where seated tribal leadership are consistently removed from office, in short order, time and again. In asking her about these issues she did not put on a politician’s diplomatic face. She realizes it is time to get past these disagreements and relayed that the Kiowa people were not here for “depending on the government or to squabble amongst each other. We as a people must allow elected leaders to work… and not abuse the recall system…” She talked of how proud she is to come from strong, resilient people and the importance of the elders in her community who continue to uphold these values. She believes the current elected leadership are working together well and will continue to do so. While this sounds like the typical line of thought provided by many in elected positions in Indian Country, you understand the sincerity in her words upon meeting her. Like many motivated, educated, and accomplished young Indian professionals with a large skill set, she could be in high demand across Indian Country. However, in speaking with her it is evident that this is not a show and it is not about Amber.
As the husband of a Kiowa tribal member, with three of our four children being enrolled with the tribe and all being active social and cultural participants, I can tell you what it is about. It is about the smile and pride that overcame our eleven year old daughter’s face when she heard that a woman had become Chairman, I mean Chairwoman, of the Kiowa Nation for the first time in history. It was the many questions she asked about her and the need to connect with her. Our daughter knows the significance of this as her grandmother is one of only a very few Kiowa women to have ascended to the Vice-Chairmanship in years past. Ah-Keen-Geah-Ah-Lay’s work at home with her own people is her calling and it shows.
How long Amber Toppah will remain in this position is uncertain. Her time is her present to the tribe. Her presence is the impact on emerging young Indian women, as well as those of a more advanced age who have waited for this day to come.
Khoye Kxai tdai baht pbay’ gyah khaum hee. (Bless and continue to watch over our Kiowa leaders.) This is my wife’s prayer.
A-ho Ah-Keen-Geah-Ah-Lay. A-ho.
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