Symposium on American Indian to conclude with Spring Powwow

(Tahlequah, OK)--Celebration and community will be the focus of the annual Northeastern State University Powwow on April 15-16, bringing to a close the 39th annual Symposium on the American Indian at NSU.

Preliminary symposium activities begin April 11 with the full schedule running April 13-16. This year's theme is "Hands Across Nations: Smart Legacies Strong Spirits."

The powwow begins Friday with gourd dancing at 6 p.m. and a grand entry into the University Center Herb Rozell Ballroom at 8, and continues Saturday with a gourd dance at 1 p.m. and another grand entry at 7. Dinner is at 5. There will also be dance contests, intertribal dancing and vendors.

"This is a contest powwow, so those in attendance will get to see many different styles of dance," said Dr. Phyllis Fife, director of NSU's Center for Tribal Studies. "Many people have attended the symposiums for several years so there is definitely a sense of family and community at the powwow."

The powwow has concluded the symposium for many years and the events consistently draw large crowds from northeast Oklahoma and beyond. Attending has become a family tradition for many. Admission is free and open to the public.

The symposium, organized by the Center for Tribal Studies and the American Indian Heritage Committee, includes traditional arts booths, book displays, film screenings and workshops.

Sponsors funding the 39th Symposium on the American Indian include the Muskogee Creek Nation Casino and Oklahoma Arts Council, NEH, the OHC, Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism, EPSCoR, the Institute for Native Justice, the National Indian Women' Health Resource Center and private contributors.

For more information about the 39th Symposium on the American Indian, visit the Symposium page.