The 42nd Powwow at Dartmouth

Dartmouth's 42nd powwow

Dartmouth’s 42nd powwow

On the weekend of May 10th-11th, Dartmouth played host to a large Powwow celebration for the 42nd year in a row. Held in Leede Arena on the 10th (due to rain) and on the Dartmouth Green on the 11th, this year’s event attracted members of at least 30 tribes, some from as far away as California and Alaska.

A group of eleven Dartmouth students (mostly freshmen in keeping with a long-standing tradition) were responsible for organizing the event. The powwow consisted mostly of traditional Native American dancing competitions as well as some dances for the community to participate in. It also featured the Bearskin Singers from South Dakota, who provided a number of traditional musical pieces.

There was also an array of some twenty vendors offering a variety of Native American-related goods for sale. Two Native men were honored in a special ceremony as part of the event, this year’s honorees being Dartmouth alum Michael Choukas Jr. ’51 and Russell Cooper Sr., the grandfather of one of the Dartmouth student powwow committee co-presidents.

While attendance was relatively light on the first day of the event due to its location in Leede Arena, approximately 500 people attended the second day’s events. In total, the powwow is reported to cost around $35,000, and is funded by several Dartmouth groups as well as fees paid by the vendors who attended.

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