UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — American Indian dancers and native drum groups from reservations and communities across North America will travel hundreds, some thousands, of miles to State College in mid-April for one of the country's best traditional American Indian powwows.
The Penn State Powwow will be held April 14 and 15 at Mount Nittany Middle School. This is the 14th year for the event, which has been recognized as one of the finest cultural events at Penn State.
The powwow is free and open to the public, and families are encouraged to attend.
The powwow runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 14, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 15. The Grand Entry of Dancers begins at noon both days and is held again at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. There will be a free shuttle from the HUB-Robeson Center on the University Park campus to the powwow, running continuously beginning at 11 a.m. both days.
This powwow welcomed more than 6,000 visitors last year. It has earned national reputation as an excellent example of honoring family values and practicing American Indian traditions.
"Everyone, native or non-native, is welcome,” said powwow coordinator John Sanchez (Ndeh Apache), a faculty member in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications.
In addition to watching traditional Native American dancing, non-natives are invited into the dance arena to share an inter-tribal dance with native dancers. There are times when the powwow honors veterans, children and elders — native and non-native.
American Indian vendors from across the country — including Albuquerque, New Mexico; Cherokee, North Carolina,;and Pine Ridge, South Dakota — will sell native-made items such as American Indian beadwork, quillwork, silver, turquoise and wampum.
Foods such as American Indian frybread, Indian corn soup and buffalo from the Northern Tribal Nations also will be available for purchase. The powwow has kept the food prices the same since its inception, making trying American Indian food affordable for the entire family.