Oregon State University will host their 45th annual Pow-Wow, on May 18 in Gill Coliseum, in an effort to support relations between Native and Indigenous OSU communities with broader Tribal nations.
This year’s event is hosted by OSU’s Native American Student Association, the Office of Diversity and Cultural Engagement and the Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws. Grand entry ceremonies begin at 1 p.m., but Gill Coliseum will be open at noon for participants to hear opening talks and preview vendors.
This free community event will feature Indigenous dancers, singers, a cultural marketplace with various vendors and “affordable” fry bread and food, according to the event page. All these performances, celebrations and exhibits will run until 6 p.m. on Saturday. This event is open to community members, students, staff and OSU alumni.
The Kaku-Ixt Mana Ina Haws comprises the Indigenous people of the Americas and Pacific Islands. Christy Jones, the assistant director of the Griggs Center for Black and Indigenous Student Success, said the event’s goal is, “to be in community with each other while also sharing the culture and community with everyone else because our event is open to the public.”
According to the center’s website, the Ina Haws take pride in providing “a brave space that Indigenous students can be in community and express their culture.” To do this, they hold fall, winter and spring events that highlight Indigenous history, culture and current issues.
The last annual Pow-Wow yielded 900 or more participants and Jones hopes this year will bring even more.
“What I’m excited for overall is the commitment from the larger OSU community in supporting, planning and funding, helping fund the Pow-Wow because by their commitment we’re able to make it a larger event,” Jones said.
The upcoming Pow-Wow will present the 2024 łatwa ina Royalty. The łatwa ina Royalty Program offers an OSU student the opportunity to support relations between the Native and Indigenous Oregon State community and broader Tribal nations and Indigenous communities in the region.
Miss. łatwa Ina will be selected from a committee and students are encouraged to apply here by April 28. Whoever is selected will be announced around 12:45 p.m. at the Pow-Wow. The chosen royalty student will represent the university at the Pow-Wow and additional surrounding events and receive a paid internship with a travel stipend.
“I ultimately hope (participants) gain a better sense of what a Pow-Wow is and Native Indigenous culture, and know that they are welcome to come to our event year after year, and encourage them to look for Pow-Wows in the area or where they’re from and pursue opportunities for them to be involved,” Jones said.
