Dustin Tahmahkera

Dustin Tahmahkera is a Professor and the Wick Cary Endowed Chair in Native American Cultural Studies at the University of Oklahoma, within the Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in Comanche studies, Indigenous soundscapes, and cultural representation. Born into the Comanche Nation, he bridges academic scholarship with creative works, including plays like Comanche Girl on the Moon and the multimedia project Ancestral Acoustics. His research explores Indigenous media, cinema, and sound, emphasizing healing through ancestral connections.

• Education: PhD (2007) in American Culture Studies, Bowling Green State University; MA (2002) and BA (1999) in English, Midwestern State University.

His creative projects include Comanche versus The World, a series of plays examining Comanche identity, and film consulting for projects like Prey. He has authored books such as Cinematic Comanches: The Lone Ranger in the Media Borderlands (2022) and Tribal Television (2014). Tahmahkera’s work challenges colonial narratives while advocating for Indigenous self-determination.

Awarded the Generation Now Playwriting Fellowship (Mellon Foundation), he won critical acclaim for 9-1-1 Comanchería, earning both the Best Play Prize and Audience Favorite Award. His contributions extend to educational documentaries, such as guides for LaDonna Harris: Indian 101, and collaborations with organizations like Native Voices at the Autry.