Belltower under cloudy skies.

On April 2, 2016, Native American Student Affairs (NASA) and American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) in conjunction with Multicultural Student Affairs hosted NC State’s 26th Annual Pow Wow in Carmichael Gymnasium. The gym was filled with people of different tribes and nations who sang, danced, drummed and reflected on the history of the Indigenous people of North Carolina and acknowledged their present status. The event started at 12:00 p.m. and lasted until 7:00 p.m.

Some of the tribes represented at the Pow Wow were the Lumbee, Cherokee, Haliwa-Saponi, Waccamaw Siouan, Saponi and Blackfoot. Head staff included head male dancer and current NC State undergraduate student Landon Brewer and head female dancer Jessica Anstead, who is an NC State alumna. Head male and female dancer positions are highly esteemed in the Native community due to the leadership role they play during Pow Wows. For NC State Pow Wows, current students or alumni head dancers are chosen each year to lead the event.  NC State Chancellor Randy Woodson was able to attend the event, making him the first chancellor to attend an NC State Pow Wow in at least the past 15 years.

Visitors were able to buy food from Mills on Wheels, a food truck from Hollister, North Carolina that specializes in serving Native American food. Also, vendors sold custom-made Native jewelry, dream catchers, blankets, pottery and other items. In all, the Pow Wow was a great success and a learning experience for many attendees.

Olivia Bullard is an NC State graduate student in physiology and poultry science.