Screening of Comanche Academy: A Healing Journey, at UCO 

The University of Central Oklahoma hosted a screening of the film “Comanche Academy: A Healing Journey,” directed by Kathryn Boyd-Batstone, on Nov. 19 in the Liberal Arts auditorium. 

November is Native American Heritage Month.  With the screening of this film, UCO aimed to raise awareness and show support for Native Americans. No designated streaming platform currently hosts the film, but scheduled screenings are planned in Oklahoma and Arkansas, and it may eventually become available online with a wider release.  

The goal of the film was to raise awareness and support for the charter school’s mission. The mission is to revive the Comanche language and culture, which have endured setbacks through generations of Comanche people due to boarding schools. 

Their mission has faced challenges like a lack of facilities and transportation. There are also only ten current fluent speakers of the Comanche language. 

They opened their doors in August 2021. The Comanche Academy Charter School is located in Lawton, Oklahoma. The school is home to grades pre-K through grade 5. Some key themes of the film include generational healing and cultural reclamation in hopes of creating a positive future for the Comanche people.

“Year one, we faced some adversities from the parents of the kids and the community. Now in year five, we have better relationships with them,” said Linette Amparan, Kindergarten Teacher at Comanche Academy. 

In the documentary, Linette had spoken about how parents and grandparents had felt uncomfortable being around the language and culture they were reviving because they had grown up in boarding schools like the former Fort Still Indian School, where they were told they were not allowed to speak the Comanche language.

 In the film, the educators speak about not wanting the boarding schools to define them, and that they hope with the mission they exhibit at the charter, the future of the kids and the Comanche people will be better served.  

Many scenes of the film displayed the kids of the school singing hymns in the Comanche language. The film opened with them attending the 21^st Annual Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair, and the kids singing a song to the crowd.