UA News

American Indian culture, food, drumming and dancing will be featured at the two-day powwow, which begins Friday at Bear Down Field.

The Wildcat Powwow Society, an Associated Students of The University of Arizona club, presents its 14th annual Wildcat Powwow this weekend.

The Powwow celebrates American Indian culture with food, singing, drumming and Gourd Dancing and will be held at Bear Down Field on Friday beginning at 5 p.m. and Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. 

All activities are included in the cost of admission. General admission is $5 for adults; youth and UA students with CatCard are $3; and children 12 and under, seniors (55+) and members of the military (ID required) are free.

The Wildcat Powwow is open to the public and provides an opportunity to learn about the various types of American Indian powwow dances, the different regalia that accompany each and the uniqueness of Northern and Southern style songs. Spectators have the opportunity to participate in select dances.

The event is one of the largest events on campus and it is organized by the student officers of the Wildcat Powwow Society and many volunteers, said Recynthia Robinson, the club's president, who is a political science major and an American Indian Studies minor.

"We dedicate much of our time to writing proposals to raise funding for the powwow. The money collected covers the cost associated with logistics for the event but also goes to cover the prizes awarded to drum contest winners and dancer winners," she said.  

Arts and crafts vendors and American Indian service organization will have booths at the powwow.

Food booths will benefit UA American Indian campus organizations such as the Tohono O'odham club and Miss Native American UA.

The Wildcat Powwow Society, formerly known as Tribal People United, resurrected the UA Powwow tradition in 2003, said Lee Jackson, one of the Powwow Society's founding members and the club's alumni adviser and mentor.

"The powwow serves as a great community event, bringing together families of students and people from tribes from all over the country but it also helps in terms of student retention. It brings something familiar to a foreign new environment for those students just getting to know the campus," said Jackson, who also is the Southwest Gourd Dance Society president.

The Southwest Gourd Dance Society will perform the Gourd Dance at 5 p.m. before the Grand Entry. The Grand Entry of dancers is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Bear Down Field is located at Fourth Street and Cherry Avenue. Free parking will be available at the Cherry Street Garage.