The 36th annual KU Powwow on Saturday celebrated American Indian cultures through basket weaving, paying homage to elders and Indigenous servicemen and women, and dancing. 

Caden Baird | [email protected] and Venus Beland | [email protected]

A Powwow is an event that is both a celebration of Native American culture and heritage while also serving as a family gathering.

Multiple indigenous vendors shared handmade cultural foods like fried bread, as participants gathered for the daylong event.

As the wind blew the sounds of jingle dresses and drums through the air, the Powwow also scheduled a rocket launch that was later scrapped due to the windy conditions.

However, kids were still able to have some fun with their own rockets from First Nation’s Launch (FNL), KU’s very own rocket team. According to Nasa, FNL gives students “the opportunity to demonstrate engineering and design skills through direct application in high-powered rocketry.”

FNL is part of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), a nationwide STEM organization for Indigenous students from kindergarten to college. AISES provides opportunities for students to take part in STEM fields and find a community of their own; a community that is just getting its legs in its second year at KU.

“None of us are rocket or aerospace majors or rocket scientists in the traditional sense. We’re all STEM majors, but kind of coming at it from different angles so this team in particular gives us a chance to get together all the time and do something together and really kind of achieve a common goal,” FNL team lead Chamisa Edmo said.

Additionally, in the corner of the Lied Center, the Cherokee basket weaving hands-on demonstration gave people from all cultural roots the opportunity to learn Indigenous basketry. 

Across the lawn, the grand entries begin in the circle, a way to pay homage to elders and Indigenous servicemen and women, and the Native way of life. 

Drumming, singing and dancing are the main festivity after the grand entry. Competitions are held for each age and category, ranging from a fancy to a jingle dance, with awards being given to the top three participants.

As the sun went down, a touching and powerful ceremony and dance occurred. The ceremony honored 23-year-old Corrin Lamere, a dancer who had a stroke while dancing at last year’s powwow. A year later, she returned to the circle to thank and honor those who supported her and her family as she healed.

As Lamere believes dance is medicinal, Natives also believe laughter is too, as the night ended on a more humorous note. The comical clown dance, featuring a community member dressed in an inflatable chicken costume, gave the community a good laugh as they returned home.