3rd Annual Powwow For the Planet Celebrates the Native American Community
Held at UNLV between April 19 and 20, the 3rd Annual Powwow For The Planet presented cultural traditions and leadership development within the native youth. In addition, it celebrated Earth Day by raising awareness and advocacy for environmental justice to preserve indigenous sacred sites in Nevada.
The UNLV Native American Alumni Club and Native American Student Association hosted the event. The event aligns with the club’s mission statement. Per their website, the mission is to promote an academic and social environment at UNLV that attracts, welcomes, and retains Native American students, faculty, and staff by recognizing the value of Native American people and their culture.
History of Powwow
Powwow’s origin is a bit of a mystery. Based on the information provided on the UNLV NAAC website, there are two beliefs about its origin. One belief states, “War dance societies of the Ponca and other Southern Plains Tribes were the origin of the Powwow. The second belief asserts that when Native American tribes were forced onto reservations, the government also forced them to dance for the public to see.
Dances in powwows today are seen as social dances. However, they may have held different meanings, styles, and content back then. What still remains today is that they’re an important part of the American Indian, as stated on the Powwow website. For Native American men, most modern powwow dances include Grass, Fancy, Chicken, Straight, and Northern Traditional. For the Native American women, dances often include Buckskin, Jingle, Cloth, and Fancy Shawl.
Powwow singers are also an integral part of Native American culture. Without them, there would be no dancing. The songs are of many varieties, from religious to war to social. Along with the varieties of songs, some are sung using “vocables” or in Native American Languages. The kinds of songs use no words, just “vocables,” according to the Powwow website.
Powwow For the Planet Vendors
Today, Native American Powwows require weeks of preparation beforehand. Everyone involved in Powwow For The Planet worked hard to plan this event to share their culture with the community. Held on the UNLV Chem Lawn and outskirts, booths ranged from Native arts and crafts vendors, organizations, and food vendors.
Food vendors included Yaqui Zen Vegan Mexican Food, Snowie Paradice, Joe 2 Go Mobile Coffee House, Frybread Express, and Navajo Gypsy Native Foods.
Some craft booths included Sol De Cobre and To Shine On Creations. Across from the crafts, The Indigenous Student Association encouraged visitors to make a craft if they wanted.
Organizations helping, informing, and providing opportunities in the community also vended. This included Native Voters Alliance Nevada, Nevada Now, Discovery Children’s Museum, Springs Preserve, Trio Adult Educational Services, and more. All showed support and raised awareness for the Native American Community.
In addition, other groups advocated for causes outside the country, like Nevadans for Palestinian Liberation. At the event, accepted donations for families suffering from the nonstop violence resulting from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and genocide in Gaza. They provided information, ways to get involved, and familiarized visitors with Palestinian culture to help spread awareness of the cruelty that is destroying many people’s families, homes, and lives.
(Read more about NPL in this previous article.)
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Powwow for the Planet Arena
While the booths set up on the lawn outskirts, families, visitors, and dancers gathered around. They protected themselves from the sun under their tents, the trees, or other types of shade. Many people sat in chairs they brought for the event, while others sat on the grass and the bleachers provided. Everyone huddled around behind the white lines placed in the center of the lawn. This area, known as the arena, signified where the dancers were set to dance.
Various dance groups shared traditional dances paired with music, songs, and ceremonial outfits with the audience. The dancers moved along to the songs the Southern Soul Singers and Northern Host Drum: Wildhorse singers played. While they sang, they all beat on one drum together.
As heard over the PA system, each dancer’s movement signaled a meaning of past tradition, expression, and communication. Tyson Shay, the event MC, acknowledged one impressive performance, telling everyone that they witnessed the dancer telling his own story.
Sharing the History of the Dances
At the stage near the arena, the MC spoke in between the dances and provided everyone with some history information on certain dances and background information relating to the culture. While introducing and letting the women dancers prepare for their dances, the MC talked about his tribal nation and how everything emphasizes women. He specified that they receive their clanship from their mothers. They’re taught from a young age that they’re extensions of their mothers; not only in their tribal nations but in others as well.
Shay then stated that we wouldn’t be here if not for women folk. He then elaborated by saying “women are the only beings on this green earth who are able to create life” and reminded the women in the crowd that they are everything to their brothers, fathers, sons, and, of course, their mothers as well.
“You, too, are an extension of her,” Shay stated. With that, the next dance began and overtook the arena. Dance groups are from different categories: women, men, and teens. They all presented traditional dances of their culture.
The arena also witnessed the initiation of a new member. During the song, everyone was encouraged to shake the hand of the inductee and then line up behind her as she walked around the arena to hear the music of the Southern Soul Singers group being performed. Gift offerings were presented during the song as part of the tradition. The song and the drum banging by the group provided the initiation ceremony with sounds of the past. This provided visitors a look at how tradition in a Native American Tribe is seen, heard, and felt.
Sharing Culture With the Community
Throughout the afternoon, attendees witness many dances, songs, and the spread of tradition. The Powwow For the Planet event allowed people to immerse themselves in a culture that allows for expression with song and dance.
Many dancers told their stories without uttering a word, with just the movements passed down to them with an opportunity to express them as they knew how. As the Southern Soul Singers drumming and singing entered one’s ears with the movements observed, they connected with the crowd and rose awareness within the audience watching throughout the afternoon. Based on their claps, smiles, and keeping in time with the drums, the crowd enjoyed the experience.
#GetinMotion With UNVL NAAC and NASA
UNLV NAAC and NASA host Powwow for the Planet yearly to honor the planet during Earth Month.
Visit the event website for more information on the annual event and the culture at the root of Powwow.
Also, check out the UNLV Native American Alumni Club’s Facebook, Instagram, and website for other events relating to Native American culture in Las Vegas. And check out UNLV Native American Student Association’s Facebook, Instagram, and website.
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