Grand Valley to host 20th annual pow wow

Events to celebrate and learn about Native American traditions and culture through dance and song will take place April 7-8 at Grand Valley State University. 

The 20th annual Celebrating All Walks of Life Traditional Pow Wow will take place in the Fieldhouse on the Allendale Campus. Hundreds of people are expected to attend, including many traveling from Native American communities in the Upper Peninsula and Great Lakes region.

The event will celebrate traditional Native American dancing and music with Grand Entry performances at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. on April 7 and at noon on April 8; doors open at 11 a.m. on both days. There will be Native American handmade crafts and food vendors, as well as a silent auction to raise funds for Grand Valley's Native American Student Association. 

This year, the co-coordinator of the first Grand Valley pow wow will attend the celebration. Scott Herron, a Grand Valley alumnus and biology professor at Ferris State University, coordinated the first pow wow in 1998. 

The celebration is free, family friendly and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Native American Student Association, Office of Multicultural Affairs and Division of Inclusion and Equity at Grand Valley. 

For more information, visit gvsu.edu/oma/powwow or contact NASA at [email protected] or the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (616) 331-2177.