Everyone Welcome at St. Scholastica's Student-Organized Native American Spring Pow-Wow

The College of St. Scholastica is showcasing Native American culture on campus through a spring pow-wow. The "Ziigwani-niimi'idiing: Spring Pow-wow" is at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 31, in the Reif Gymnasium of the Burns Wellness Center. Admission is free and open to the public.

There will be a campus tour for Red Cliff high school students in the morning starting at 11 a.m. in Tower Hall. The pow-wow will begin at 1 p.m. with a grand entry, prayer and honor song for veterans. A feast will be celebrated at 5 p.m. with another grand entry at 7 p.m. kicking off an evening of dancing until 10 p.m. The pow-wow will include inter-tribal dancing, along with drummers and arts and crafts vendors.  

St. Scholastica's Indigenous Student Alliance (ISA) helped organize the event. ISA raised money for the pow-wow through various fundraising efforts such as food sales, as well as sponsorships from St. Scholastica's Student Senate and several surrounding reservations during the past year.

"We thought if we had our own pow-wow on campus, it would promote Native American culture on campus and also showcase and share our culture with everyone who wanted to attend," said Mary Pyawasit, an ISA member and St. Scholastica student enrolled in the Native Teacher Program, a federal grant-supported teaching program that helps finance education costs for American Indian college students who agree to teach American Indian students once they graduate. 

"Students felt that if they are going to become native teachers, social workers and nurses on the reservations that it would be good to know how to help organize cultural events such as a spring pow-wow," noted Monica White, assistant professor for the Native Teaching Program and ISA advisor.

The pow-wow is sponsored by the Native Teacher Program, Indigenous Student Alliance, Student Senate, The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, The White Earth Nation, and The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.

For more information visit the Spotlight Box Office at spotlight.css.edu or call (218) 723-7000. Spotlight@css.edu is St. Scholastica's one-stop shop for arts and lectures information and tickets.