{"id":135057,"date":"2025-04-14T20:33:02","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T01:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/?p=135057"},"modified":"2025-04-14T20:40:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T01:40:57","slug":"cronkite-news-arizona-state-university-hosts-annual-powwow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indianz.com\/News\/2025\/04\/14\/cronkite-news-arizona-state-university-hosts-annual-powwow\/","title":{"rendered":"Cronkite News: Arizona State University hosts annual powwow"},"content":{"rendered":" \"ASU<\/a>
Arizona State University Powwow royalty lead a grand entry march into the event at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe, Arizona, on April 6, 2025. Photo by Brandelyn Clark \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n
ASU Powwow bridges generations amid threats of Indigenous cultural erasure<\/div>\r\n
Monday, April 14, 2025<\/div>\r\n
By Brandelyn Clark<\/div>\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\r\nTEMPE — The 36th annual Arizona State University Powwow was more than a celebration of song and dance, it was a space where generations of people gathered to invigorate shared culture, tell traditional stories and teach lessons and prayers that have survived for millennia.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThis year\u2019s powwow, held Friday through Sunday at ASU\u2019s Desert Financial Arena, attracted students, visitors and dancers from across the country.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nDrum groups representing different tribal nations circling the gym floor, regalia draped over the stadium chairs and the clinks of jingles on dresses all contributed to the lively atmosphere.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe powwow offered a space where students feel welcome and empowered. Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, and 1.06% of undergraduate students identified as American Indian or Alaska Native, according to an Arizona Board of Regents fiscal year 2023 report<\/a>.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nMarshall Baker, an ASU student, powwow dancer and former Cronkite News reporter, is Navajo, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, Chippewa and Cree. He is a grass dancer, which he says has been an honor to carry on in his family.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cI\u2019ve been powwowing since before I could walk,\u201d Baker said. \u201cMy dad dances. He\u2019s been dancing his entire life. My grandpa has been dancing his entire life. So it\u2019s been a multigenerational thing in my family.\u201d\r\n

<\/P>\r\nThe powwow helps bridge physical and cultural connection for Natives in urban areas and students living away from family and tribal lands.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cIt always makes me feel connected to that side because I grew up in the city, as well. Being able to go out and powwow and dress in my regalia and hear the songs and everything, it really helps me feel connected,\u201d Baker said.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n \"ASU<\/a>

The Arizona State University Powwow offers a space for cultural connection and tradition among elders and students amid DEI policy challenges. The powwow at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe includes traditional dance, food and vendors. Photo by Brandelyn Clark \/ Cronkite News<\/figcaption>\r\n

<\/P>\r\nNative culture is rooted in long-standing traditions that can be difficult to connect with, as political erasures, geographic separations and a lack of knowledge stand as barriers. The powwow is as an opportunity for attendees to come together, celebrate each other and their ancestry, and honor their cultures through traditional dance and food. Vendors also sell turquoise, regalia, beaded jewelry and art \u2013 physical embodiments of the Native way of life.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cThey always say, \u2018Your outfit will take you far.\u2019 That\u2019s a teaching that comes up often, and it\u2019s held true. \u2026 They say, \u2018Take care of your outfit, your outfit will take care of you,\u2019\u201d Baker said.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nJanelle Allen, ASU\u2019s elder in residence and a member of the Navajo Din\u00e9 and Cherokee nations, helps students cope with being away from their Native communities and transition to college life. She emphasizes the powwow as a living educational space that embodies statutes of respect, community and cultural teachings passed down through generations.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cI think the powwows give an opportunity for us to have a real, live classroom begin to happen,\u201d Allen said. As students and alumni volunteer and participate in the powwows, she hopes they recognize the importance of listening to the people around them and sharing ideas.\r\n

<\/P>\r\nElders carry invaluable knowledge that is essential to the survival of Native practices. Their efforts are reflected through language revitalization and sharing ancient stories. But, Allen points out, this cultural connection is a two-way street.\r\n

<\/P>\r\n\u201cWe are the carriers of knowledge \u2026 that ties to culture,\u201d Allen said. \u201cIt\u2019s one thing for an elder to speak and to teach, but it\u2019s another thing for the youth to want to learn and to listen.\u201d\r\n

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