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Susie Peters (Kiowa name: Kom-tah-gya) was an American preservationist and matron at the Anadarko Agency, who worked to promote Kiowa artists. Born to white parents in Tennessee, she moved to Indian Territory with her family prior to Oklahoma becoming a state. While working as a matron for the Indian Agency, she discovered the talent of the young artists who would become known as the Kiowa Six and introduced them to Oscar Jacobson, director of the University of Oklahoma's art department. She was honored by the National Hall of Fame for Famous American Indians and both adopted by the tribe and given a Kiowa name in 1954. In 1963, the Anadarko Philomathic Club created an annual art award in her name. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women's Hall of Fame in its inaugural year, 1982.
She married U.S. Deputy Marshal John Swain, on April 15, 1891, in Alex, Indian Territory. The couple moved to Purcell, Indian Territory, where she worked as a school teacher. Swain was killed in a shootout over a land dispute on January 9, 1895, near Purcell and a life-sized tribute to him was erected in the Purcell Cemetery by his wife.
On July 20, 1897, in Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory, Swain was issued a license to marry James W. "Jim" Peters, but no marriage record was returned. A second license to marry Peters was issued on October 23, 1901, and the ceremony was performed the following day in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Territory. Peters was accidentally shot by the Ardmore, Indian Territory police chief, Buck Garrett, on March 15, 1906, while the two men were at an informal gathering. Peters died the following day and was buried in his hometown of Newton, Kansas.
For a brief time, Peters managed the Monarch Hotel, located at 200 E. 2nd Street in Oklahoma City.
On June 29, 1911, she married Oscar L. Shaffer in Oklahoma City, but he was also murdered.
She also was instrumental in mentoring Woody Crumbo, Potawatomi artist, whom she met during his youth while he was attending the Chilocco Indian School. In 1932, Peters arranged the sale of 22 of Crumbo's painting to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, setting his career in motion. Peters continued to encourage Kiowa youth to preserve their heritage annually accompanying Kiowa dancers to programs, such as the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial, from the 1930s into the 1960s. Peters worked with Laura Pedrick, niece of Chief Lone Wolf and Sitting Bear, to collect folklore and memorabilia of the Kiowa Tribe. She served as matron of the tribe until her death on October 14, 1965, in Anadarko. She was buried in the Purcell Cemetery beside her first husband.
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