UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The popular Penn State Traditional American Indian Powwow — considered one of the finest traditional American Indian powwows in or outside of Indian Country — returns as an in-person, two-day event this weekend, June 25-26.
The powwow will be conducted at Mt. Nittany Middle School (656 Brandywine Drive, State College) and feature traditional American Indian dancers and Native drum groups from reservations and communities across the United States and Canada. Some of those groups will travel thousands of miles to participate in the highly regarded and popular event.
Admission is free. The powwow runs 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. June 25 and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 26. The Grand Entry of Dancers begins at noon and is held again at 6:30 p.m. on the first day of the event. It is conducted only at noon on the second day.
The 16th annual and first post-pandemic powwow is a signature cultural event in the community. It attracted more than 6,000 visitors when it was last conducted in person. The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau recognizes it as a premier family friendly event for the region.
In addition to watching traditional Native dancing, non-Natives are invited into the dance arena to share an inter-tribal dance. One of the powwow traditions is to honor veterans at the start of the event, and this year the head veteran dancer is Army veteran Mitchelene BigMan (Crow Nation). The color guard will be presented by the Native American Women Warriors organization. The all-female Native American veterans organization has been the color guard for two U.S. presidential inaugurations and many national meetings for and about American Indian concerns.
Vendors from all over Indian Country (Cherokee, North Carolina; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Pine Ridge, South Dakota; and more) will sell Native-made arts and goods such as American Indian beadwork, quillwork, silver, turquoise and wampum.
Native foods such as buffalo, corn soup and frybread will be available for purchase.
The 2022 Penn State Traditional American Indian Powwow is sponsored by several Penn State units — the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Education, Outreach and Online Education, the Office of the Vice Provost for Educational Equity, Dickinson Law, the Smeal College of Business, the Eberly College of Science, the College of Engineering, and Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs.
For more information, visit powwow.psu.edu or contact John Sanchez, powwow coordinator, at apache@psu.edu.