The Comanche Nation formed in the early 1700s when a faction of the Shoshone tribe acquired horses and migrated south. They ruled the southern Great Plains and were eventually forced onto reservations. Today, the Comanche Nation is headquartered in Lawton, Oklahoma, and operates businesses such as casinos and Comanche Nation College.
The Comanche Nation is a Native American tribe that formed on the Southern Plains of the United States in the early 1700s. Initially, the Comanche were part of the Shoshone tribe, but they split off when a faction of the Shoshones bought horses and were able to travel long distances. Once separated from the Shoshone, the Comanche traveled south from Wyoming into New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and other states. When the Westward Expansion occurred, the Comanche Nation, like all other Native American tribes, were eventually forced to remain on reservations. Today, the Comanche nation has its headquarters in Lawton, Oklahoma, although there are also Comanche people still located in California, New Mexico and Texas.
The American Indians who would become the Comanche Nation were part of the Eastern Shoshone tribe near the Platte River in Wyoming. Around 1700, groups of Shoshone acquired horses and began migrating south, forming the Comanche. Throughout the next century, the Comanche ruled the southern Great Plains as hunter-gatherers, aided greatly by their ability to travel far and wide on horseback. Their population grew rapidly, with historians estimating their figures at around 20,000 or more. As the tribe grew, they came to inhabit Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, and other nearby states. Their rule was so well established that they became known as the “Lords of the Plains” and the land they inhabited was called Comancheria.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Comanche and other Native American tribes endured heavy hardship as settlers continued to expand westward. A cycle of bloody raids and skirmishes followed by peace treaties and appeasements marked the period. In 1867, with the Medicine Lodge Treaty, the United States government began promising land and money to the Comanche Nation if the tribe agreed to cease raiding and camp on government-established reservations. The Jerome Agreement of 1892, also known as the Comanche, Kiowa, and Apache Agreement, further reduced the nation’s land.
Today, the Comanche Nation complex is located just outside of Lawton, Oklahoma. The Comanche continue to comprise a major portion of the population and economic impact in Oklahoma. The Comanche also continue to live in the surrounding states, albeit in smaller numbers. In 2002, the Comanche founded Comanche Nation College in Lawton. Along with other business operations, the Comanches derive a significant portion of their economic livelihood from the string of casinos they own. The Comanche also organize several heritage and tourism events, such as the annual Comanche Nation Fair.
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