Powwow a highlight of 41st Symposium

Office of Communications & Marketing |Northeastern State University
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. -- Celebrating Native American culture and community, the annual Northeastern State University Powwow is April 12-13, offering a festive finale to the 41st Annual Symposium on the American Indian.

The Pre-Symposium Film Series is April 8-9 and the full schedule runs April 10-13. The theme of the 41st symposium is "Technology Future, Technology Past: A Woven Link."

The powwow begins Friday with gourd dancing at 6 p.m. and a grand entry into the University Center Herb Rozell Ballroom at 8. Saturday opens with gourd dancing at 2 p.m. and the grand entry at 7 p.m. The Powwow Dinner is at 5 p.m. There will also be dance contests, intertribal dancing and vendors.

Admission is free and open to the public. The powwow is part of the NSU Arts of Indigenous Cultures Series and funded in part by the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Powwow Master of Ceremonies will be Kelly Anquoe; Arena Director Stanley John; Head Singer Joel Deerinwater; Head Man Dancer Thorpe Sine; Head Lady Dancer Erica Pretty Eagle Moore; Head Gourd Dancer Adam Proctor; and the Cherokee Nation Color Guard.

Prizes will be awarded for the top finishers in different dance categories. Men's categories are fancy, grass, traditional and straight. Women may compete in fancy shawl, jingle dress, buckskin and cloth.

The powwow has concluded the symposium for many years and consistently draws large crowds from northeast Oklahoma and beyond. Attending has become a family tradition for many.

The symposium, organized by the Center for Tribal Studies and the American Indian Heritage Committee, includes traditional arts booths, book signings, film screenings and workshops. In collaboration with the Cherokee Heritage Center, this year's event will highlight the 50th anniversary of the Cherokee National Historical Society.

Other symposium sponsors include Muscogee Creek Nation Casino, the Chickasaw Nation, Cherokee Cultural Tourism, Oklahoma Humanities Council, Oklahoma EPSCoR, NSU American Indian Studies, and the NSU Indigenous Scholar Development Center.

For more information about the 41st Annual Symposium on the American Indian contact the Center for Tribal Studies at 918-444-4350 or tribalstudies@nsuok.edu.