Drum circle members play the drums during the Native American Student Association’s 30th annual Benefit Powwow on April 4 at the Maverick Activities Center.
File photo / Maricela Gonzales
Dallas-Fort Worth residents will have an opportunity to experience Native American culture on a big scale at the North Texas Powwow.
The event will occur from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Esports Stadium Arlington. Presented by IndigiCommunity, the event will feature dancing, vendors, crafts and more.
Previously held in Dallas, the event will be held in Arlington for the first time this year, IndigiCommunity board member Jessica Johnson said. Though not held as often as they were in the 1980s and 1990s, these events help the Native American community stay connected with their culture and each other, she said.
Stephen Silva-Brave, Native American Student Association president, said powwows are a celebration open to everyone as a way to get together. Native American culture has included these traditions for thousands of years, with tribes and families getting together to sing, dance and dress in regalia, he said.
However, in 1883 a U.S. law passed that made gatherings like powwows and other Native traditions illegal. After that, Native traditions became shows for non-Natives around holidays like the Fourth of July or Thanksgiving, Silva-Brave said.
“They could, for a little bit, dress and bring out the drums and sing and dance, and that was kind of the origin of how powwows started,” he said.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and again at 5 p.m., the event will feature traditional dances like gourd dances, Johnson said. There will also be contest dancing. Additionally, attendees will be able to purchase crafts and art from various vendors, she said.
Silva-Brave said the event is a chance for many to compete against others skilled in singing or dancing, with athletes dressed in full regalia, which is “like a work of art,” he said.
“When you see the way that each of the people are dressed, it’s like you’re watching a walking art piece,” Silva-Brave said.
For students and residents who enjoy UTA’s annual powwow, he said it is an opportunity to take a chance, see a different powwow and be a part of something new.
Johnson said the celebration is open to non-Native people.
“Everybody’s welcome,” she said. “We want everybody to come out and enjoy and learn about our culture, our people and help us celebrate that we’re still here.”
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