Mother’s Day always means something additional at Stanford University: the Stanford Powwow. The powwow features traditional dancing, songs, a drum contest, a fun run and a colorful, popular cultural gathering.
Festivities began Friday, May 11, with special performances starting at 5 p.m. Dancers made their grand entrances at the 7 p.m. Grand Entry, which also included an invocation and welcome address. Social dances, intertribal events and a dance competition continued until the 11 p.m. closing song.
The annual celebration of Native-American culture went through Sunday, May 13. For more information about the weekend, go to stanfordpowwow.org.
Video by Veronica Weber/Palo Alto Online.
By Palo Alto Online staff
By Palo Alto Online staff
By Palo Alto Online staff
Would have been nice to have known about this BEFORE the event – my family would have loved to attend this. Must have missed it somehow.
No worries MissedIt!, the Pow Wow will be back next year. I’m still a bit surprised that Stanford continues the tradition, but it’s a good surprised. Nice to see the Native culture getting some recognition.
When you do bring your family, don’t forget to stay until they open the dance circle to everyone. It’s truly something to see!
It is isn’t “Stanford the institution” that continues the “tradition” — it is the Native American students themselves who organize and run this event.
OK, I stand corrected. Thought that Stanford might have something to do with it since they used to use that hideous Indian logo.
Thanks to pressure from the Native American students and greater community concerned about the “Indians” moniker, Stanford abandoned its ill-advised use of the name and mascot. It then over-reacted by implementing use of a color (“Cardinal” as in cardinal red) instead of any kind of other mascot name or figure. Go figure. Oh well, I guess there won’t be any complaints about that from any corner of the world . . .
@local gurl: Stanford, the institution didn’t pick cardinal, the students did. But only after their first choice, the “Robber Barons,” was rejected by the institution. I think that moniker would have been a better fit, given Senator Stanford’s history. By the way, Stanford does have a mascot — the Tree.
The Robber Barons would’ve been perfect! But what would be their mascot? A gold rick, a railroad tie, a chest of gold pieces?
I had some Native friends who helped organize the pow wow years ago. It was an impressive amount of work. Excellent singers & drummers.