Doc Tate Nevaquaya

Joyce Lee Tate Nevaquaya (known as “Doc” Tate) was born in 1932 in Apache, Oklahoma to two Comanche parents (Victoria and Lean Nevaquaya), who died in 1945.[4][5] He was named after Dr. Joyce, the doctor who delivered him, and “Doc” became a nickname because of their relationship.[5] Nevaquaya means “well-dressed” in the Comanche language.[3] After his parents death when he was just thirteen, Doc lived with his grandparents who strengthened his Comanche heritage.[5] and he was raised in the Peyotist religion and attended the Native American Church frequently.[4]

Doc attended Fort Sill Indian School graduating in 1951 and took the name Christian name “Tate'' from his grandfather’s business partner as a requirement for enrolling in the school.[3] Later he attended Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas (1951- 52)[6] where he met his future wife, Charlotte, who was a devout Christian. In 1953, they moved back to Apache where they had five sons and four daughters (Sonny, Jereaux, Sue, Edmond, Joycetta, Timothy, Sonia, Joseph and Calvert) who were all raised under Christian values.[4][7] He worked many jobs throughout his life and pursued his art on the side. Some of the occupations he had included teacher, Methodist lay minister, dancer, composer, singer, historian, painter and flutist.[5] His devotion to his art greatly influenced the artistic pursuits of his children as well and his sons have all become accomplished flutist, painters and/or dancers.[6]

Although he is better known for his flute playing, Doc considered himself a painter first.[5] He started painting in the 1950s with encouragement from his wife, Charlotte Nevaquaya, who recognized his talent early on.[4] He had no formal training and is considered a self-taught artist.[7] He painted with watercolor, acrylic, tempera, and prints[8] in the Oklahoma Traditional Style with mostly earth tones. He would begin with a sketch that would then be transferred to the board that would be painted on. He was very knowledgeable of Comanche history and culture, and his primary concern was in conveying the beauty of Comanche culture and identity, as well as that of the other tribes he depicted in his art. It is known that he was familiar with other Comanche artists as well, specifically Leonard Riddles (Black Moon Riddles), Bill Poafpybitty, Rance Hood, Robby McMurtry, and Weckeah Bradley, and would invite them over frequently to discuss their art. He sometimes made cartoons as well and knew how to integrate comedy into his work as well.[4]

Doc is best known for his flute playing, which is considered to have helped revive Comanche flute playing and saved the art style from being lost forever. He first heard flute music when he was seven years old and found his first flute inside a trunk which he purchased from a pawn shop in his early teens. Growing up, Doc was taught traditional Comanche crafts and developed an interest for the courting flute. As an adult, he learned to make his own flutes and play Comanche flute music. He became a renowned performing artist who could sing, dance, and compose music.[5]

According to the NEA, “The courting flute is an end-blown instrument generally made of wood and constructed with a movable block through which the musical intonation can be changed.” It is a traditional instrument common to many Native American tribes, and for the Comanche it was historically used in solo performances for courting by men. As these traditional courting rituals became less practiced however, the role of the courting flute began to wane and Indigenous musicians like Doc were essential to revitalizing it and popularizing the instrument again in a modern way for the Comanche people. He called this “a modern courting song style” which allowed a musician to improvise while not breaking from the “aesthetic parameters of Plains Indian musical forms.” Through this technique, he became a renowned performing artist who could sing, dance, and compose music and passed on the art to his sons who are committed to continuing the tradition as well.[3]

Doc released two musical albums during his lifetime: Indian Flute Songs from Comanche Land (1976) and Comanche Flute Music (1979).[3] He lectured and taught workshops about his flute playing all over the country. He performed on television 25 times including “On the Road with Charles Kuralt” and “Good Morning America.”[8]

He was a recipient of a 1986 National Heritage Fellowship awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the United States government's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.[10] In 2006, he was inducted into the Native American Music Awards Hall of Fame.[11]

• American Indian Arts Association
• American Indian Cultural Society
• Oklahoma Indian Mission Arts and Crafts Organization
• Southwestern Indian Arts and Crafts, Inc.
• Oklahoma Indian Art League
• University of Oklahoma Board of Visitors (1994)[12]

• The Governor's Arts Award named him an Oklahoma Treasure in (1995)[12]
• Selected the Red Earth Honored One (1993)[5]
• Artist of the West Award at the American Indian and Cowboy Artists National Western Art Exhibition in San Dimas, California (1994)[12]
• First Oklahoman to win the National Heritage Fellowship Award at the National Endowment for the Arts (1986)[3]
• The second Friday in October was proclaimed Joyce “Doc” Tate Nevaquaya Day by the Comanche tribe (1986)
• LaDonna Harris Award from Oklahomans for Indian Opportunity (1986)
• Outstanding Citizen of Diamond Jubilee Heritage Week from the Apache Chamber of Commerce (1982)[12]
• Indian of the Year award from Oscar Rose Junior College, Midwest City (1975)
• The "Doc Tate Scholarship Fund" under the University of Oklahoma's Fine Arts Department (1970)[7]
• Outstanding Indian Artists Award from Southwestern State College in Weatherford (1969)[12]

Doc Tate died from a heart attack at the age of 64 on March 5, 1996 at Comanche County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Oklahoma.[12]