Thousands turn out for 31st annual SOU powwow

Flag bearers led the Grand Entry procession on Saturday evening. The Powwow, hosted by SOU's Native American Student Union, is the largest student-led event on campus. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini
April 17, 2024

Native American Student Union hosted largest annual student-led event held on campus

By Cameron Aalto, Ashland.news

More than 2,000 community members gathered over the weekend for Southern Oregon University’s (SOU) 31st annual powwow. The event, hosted by the school’s Native American Student Union (NASU) at the Lithia Motors Pavilion, is known as the largest student-led event on campus. The event spanned both Saturday and Sunday, with grand entries Saturday afternoon and evening and again mid-day Sunday.

A powwow is a cultural event that gathers Native community members and their allies together to participate in cultural music, dancing, shopping and food. 

David West, a tribal elder, wore his new custom-made beaded vest, as he MC’d the Powwow. He introduced Native American veterans who attended the event. West is Southern Oregon University’s Native American Studies Director Emeritus. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini

This year, NASU welcomed more than 10 tribal royalty participants, the largest number of royalty ever in attendance. To become tribal royalty, an individual is judged at a powwow on aspects like performance, participation and public speaking skills. The skills that judges are looking for are dependent on the powwow and often differ. Once a royalty participant is crowned, they are expected to represent their tribe or tribes by attending public events and stepping into the role of a cultural ambassador. 

Tori McConnell, Miss Indian World, was Saturday evening’s featured speaker. She spoke about the removal of the Klamath River dams, which was the culmination of years of work by area tribes. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini

This year, the powwow welcomed Tori McConnell, the holder of the most prestigious cultural title of Miss Indian World for young Indigenous women between the ages of 18 and 25. McConnell was a featured speaker at the powwow and spoke about the removal of the Klamath River dams, the largest dam removal to occur in the world. The topic of the dam removal was a theme at the powwow as a water blessing to honor past, present, and future water warriors also occurred at the event.

More than a thousand community members gathered April 13-14, 2024, for Southern Oregon University’s (SOU) 31st annual powwow. Ashland.news video by Bob Palermini

SOU’s powwow is well regarded for its intertribal and international nature as it is an event where all are welcome regardless of background. In addition to the dances typical to the powwow, SOU welcomed three separate cultural presentations. The first and second were performances by Aztec Dancers and SOU’s Samoan Club. The third was a Karuk Brush Dance demonstration. Saturday’s demonstrations were followed by a community dinner offered by NASU.

New to the powwow this year was the Indian taco sale. Over the past few years, NASU has fed the masses by cooking frybread (fried dough, often topped with honey or butter and sugar), but this year they branched out to Indian tacos (frybread with taco toppings like meat, beans, cheese and vegetables). The stand garnered so much attention from attendees that on Saturday it sold out before the dinner rush. 

Student volunteers (from left) Liz Adkisson, Takima Atchley, and Kayla Dumore cooking frybread at the frybread stand at SOU’s powwow. Ashland.news photo by Cameron Aalto
Aiyanna Brown, a student at SOU and member of NASU and the powwow planning committee, stands in front of the Lithia Motors Pavillion. Ashland.news photo by Cameron Aalto

SOU’s powwow is completely student led, so in order to bring it all together, NASU has its own Powwow Planning Committee that has met weekly since early November, including committee member Aiyanna Brown. Brown is Komemma Kalapuya, Hanis Coos, and an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians. Brown is a new transfer student to SOU having joined the university and NASU this fall. 

Asked about her involvement in NASU and the planning committee, she said, “NASU and the powwow committee has really welcomed me in … We’ve done everything from inviting vendors and drummers, dancers, royalty program, doing a frybread stand, reserving the space, and so many other moving parts.”

While Brown has experience dancing at powwows, this is her first time in 13 years to dance while wearing her cultural regalia.

“When I was a teenager … I didn’t really powwow a whole lot, and I didn’t really do a lot with my culture anymore like I did when I was young and my parents, you know, were dragging me to powwows,” she said. “As I’ve gotten a little bit older, it’s made me really realize how important my heritage and culture is … so, being able to kind of step back into this cultural role a little bit to be able to … wear my regalia for my ancestors and work on my language and, you know, make some frybread … I feel like I can feel all the other powerful Native women before me comin’ through my body.” 

Seven drum circles provided music for Saturday evening’s event. 2024 is the second year that the powow has been back on the SOU campus following the pandemic. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini

Asked about the significance of powwows in her life, Brown said that powwow is a gathering place of “all people, all the people from all the aspects of life, from Native people to non-Natives to people who are Native and don’t know that they’re Native, you know, and I think that just the different people that come together for powwow just makes a really cool, diverse, really welcoming group.” 

Ashland.news intern Cameron Aalto is a senior at Southern Oregon University. Email him at [email protected].

Dancers dressed in colorful regalia entered the Bob Rheim Arena at Lithia Motors Pavilion as part of the Grand Entry for Southern Oregon University’s 31st annual Powwow Saturday evening. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini
Dancers of all ages participated in the Grand Entry and all-tribal dance Saturday evening. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini
According to David West, this year’s powwow featured the largest number of tribal royalty to participate in the SOU event. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini
Saturday evening’s program included several youth dance demonstrations and competitions. Tiny tots, age 6 and under, kicked off the dancing. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini
Junior girls, 12 and under, took their turn dancing at Saturday evening’s powwow. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini
A junior girl twirls as she dances to the Screaming Eagle Drum group during Saturday evening’s powwow. Ashland.new photo by Bob Palermini
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Bert Etling

Bert Etling is the executive editor of Ashland.news. Email him at [email protected].

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