The 8th annual Powwow at IU was held in Dunn Meadow on Saturday, April 6 from 10 in the morning until 10 that night. The First Nations Educational and Cultural Center (FNECC) helped set up the event to celebrate Native American cultures through food, song, dance, and crafts.

According to the FNECC site, “The powwow has become a way that Native American people representing all tribal backgrounds can join together to share experiences, reconnect with old friends, and make new ones. It is an opportunity to reflect on time-honored traditions, while helping to educate future generations of dancers and singers.”

FNECC director Nicky Belle is not Native American, but has always been passionate about the people and culture.

Vendors at the event were selling items like handmade bracelets, blankets, and pro-Native American government merchandise. Traditional foods such as fried bread and a dish called “the Native American taco” were being sold alongside a complimentary lunch provided by the university.Native Americans from states such as Kansas, South Dakota, Indiana, and others were invited to help participate in the powwow.

Last Saturday, IU's @fnecc hosted its 8th Annual Traditional Powwow, a celebration honoring tribal identity and culture. Our student-led podcast #TheSample spoke with grad Scout Landin about the jingle dress & why she came back to town for this tradition. https://t.co/H4xxNwHcut

— IU Provost (@IUBProvost) April 12, 2019

Josee Starr and her mother Cynthia Fox-Starr came in for the powwow from northern Indiana. “Powwows are simply a celebration. They are a lot of fun and a way for us to celebrate our culture,” said Josee Starr.

Heather Williams, who works as a program assistant for the FNECC at IU enjoys the powwows but thinks there is more IU should do for Native Americans.

“Two years before IU was created, Native American tribes were removed to create space for IU,” said Williams. “Although the powwows are a nice public display of the Native American culture, IU should do diligence by those tribes that were removed to create the university and support more native students to come study here.”

For those unfamiliar with the customs of a powwow, here is some etiquette provided by the FNECC to keep in mind the next time you find yourself attending one

• Please respect elders at all times.

• Elders are to be served FIRST at meal times.

• Do not touch dancers’ regalia or jewelry.

• Walk around, not through, the dance circle.

• Donations are encouraged at blanket dances.

• Please do not dance in the arena until the emcee announces the invitation.

• Please direct any questions you might have to a powwow volunteer.

• It is polite to ask permission before taking a dancer’s photo outside the arena.

• If you would like to know more about a dancer, dance style, or a dancer’s clothing, respectfully ask that dancer.

“What you see now are family traditions, tribal traditions, customs that have been passed down for generations and generations,” FNECC Director Nicky Belle said. “And this is what contemporary practice, culture, identity and tradition look like.”https://t.co/GIfRB68hsv

— Indiana Daily Student (@idsnews) April 6, 2019

The FNECC will be having a speaker series event on Tuesday, April 24th at the First Nations Center. The speaker is PhD student Mackenzie Cory, who will speak on “change and continuity in indigenous children’s culture from pre-contact period through the early 20th century.”

The talk will be from 12:00-1:30 PM with lunch provided. Click here to learn more.