Doc Tate Nevaquaya
1932-1996
1932-1996
Doc Tate Nevaquaya was a Comanche Artist and flutist. He
was named "The Honored One" at the 1993 Red Earth
Festival in Oklahoma City. The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
The Kennedy Center and National Endowment of the Arts
have recognized him.
The name Doc was given to the young Nevaquaya by a family
friend, a doctor named Joyce. Nevaquaya means "tired of
being pretty" or "tired of being well groomed". Tate was the
name of a white man from Fletcher, a friend of Nevaquaya's
grandfather. The two men raised cattle together, and in the
late 1880's when the Bureau of Indian Affairs required
members of the tribes to give an account of themselves, they
needed an English name. Tate offered his name to his
childhood friend and he accepted.
Doc Tate became a student, early in life of the rich history and
ceremonies of his people, a study which led to his desire to
preserve the Comanche culture through the media of water
color and tempra. A self-taught artist, he carefully researched
and accurately represents the dress and customs of his tribe in
his traditional style paintings.
Many honors and awards have been bestowed upon
Nevaquaya and his work both here and abroad. He is famous
as a teacher, lecturer, musician, composer and flute maker, as
well as an artist.
Doc Tate received the Governor's award for the Diamond
Jubilee Coin, ordered in 1982 to go down in the Guiness Book
of Records as the first Peyote coin to depict the American
Indian church. He also received the Presidential Award in
1986 from President Reagan.
We are honored to offer some of this late artists work.
was named "The Honored One" at the 1993 Red Earth
Festival in Oklahoma City. The Metropolitan Museum of Art,
The Kennedy Center and National Endowment of the Arts
have recognized him.
The name Doc was given to the young Nevaquaya by a family
friend, a doctor named Joyce. Nevaquaya means "tired of
being pretty" or "tired of being well groomed". Tate was the
name of a white man from Fletcher, a friend of Nevaquaya's
grandfather. The two men raised cattle together, and in the
late 1880's when the Bureau of Indian Affairs required
members of the tribes to give an account of themselves, they
needed an English name. Tate offered his name to his
childhood friend and he accepted.
Doc Tate became a student, early in life of the rich history and
ceremonies of his people, a study which led to his desire to
preserve the Comanche culture through the media of water
color and tempra. A self-taught artist, he carefully researched
and accurately represents the dress and customs of his tribe in
his traditional style paintings.
Many honors and awards have been bestowed upon
Nevaquaya and his work both here and abroad. He is famous
as a teacher, lecturer, musician, composer and flute maker, as
well as an artist.
Doc Tate received the Governor's award for the Diamond
Jubilee Coin, ordered in 1982 to go down in the Guiness Book
of Records as the first Peyote coin to depict the American
Indian church. He also received the Presidential Award in
1986 from President Reagan.
We are honored to offer some of this late artists work.
