University of Wisconsin Indigenous organization Wunk Sheek hosted a powwow at Dejope Residence Hall on Monday evening to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day, held every year on the second Monday in October.
The powwow staff featured emcee Artley Skenandore, Head Dancers Brandy and Odawa White and Head Veteran Misty Jackson. Ho-Chunk Station performed the drumming and singing as the Host Drum of the powwow.
The powwow, and Indigenous People’s Day in general, is a way for Indigenous people to feel connected with their culture and maintain good spirits and strong hearts, Skenandore said.
“We know we’ve been here since the beginning,” Skenandore said. “All we’re doing is renewing that.”
Powwows are a traditional Native American celebration with tribal drums, dancing and chanting, where community members can come together wearing traditional regalia to celebrate and maintain their culture, according to Native Hope. Flag bearers at a powwow may carry flags that represent the U.S., various tribes and respect for veterans, according to the Flandreau Santee Sioux tribe. The powwow Monday held dances like the two-step social dance, the potato dance and the plain clothes dance.
The powwow began with the Grand Entry, where the Head Veteran and Head Dancers followed the flags and led the rest of the dancers into the arena as the Host Drums, Ho-Chunk Station, sang and drummed.
From there, the Host Drum performed the Flag Song and Veterans Song as songs of respect toward Indigenous people’s flags, veterans and land, Skenandore said.
The ceremony then held the Plain Clothes Special, where hosts encouraged everyone from the audience to join in and dance. Around 100 people occupied the arena to join the lively dancing and singing, and judges picked three dancers to win $50, $100 and $200 prizes.
The powwow also hosted the potato dance, where couples danced with potatoes lodged in between their foreheads until one couple remained.
While the powwow is a hub for lively singing and dancing, it also serves as an opportunity for Indigenous people to come together and give thanks, Skenandore said.
“We say it’s the beginnings of our people, the story of how we have come this far and how much further we have to go,” Skenandore said.
Wunk Sheek Marketing Chair Ava Belisle said it was amazing to see not only the Indigenous people of Madison but also other community members come together to dance and give thanks.
An integral goal of the ceremony is to create a presence for Indigenous communities, Belisle said.
“We’re still here,” Belisle said. “We’re not just in the past.”
