22nd annual Pow wow to celebrate American Indian culture in Events Center April 2, 3

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Regular powwow participant and volunteer Cid Bearhart said Central Michigan University’s upcoming event is like a big family get-together.

The 22nd-annual Pow wow will be held April 2 and 3 at the Events Center. The Grand Entry will be at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday. Singing, dancing, food vendors and arts and crafts vendors will all be part of the celebration.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, seeing old friends and making new friends is something to look forward to every weekend during the summer,” Bearhart said.

More than 2,000 people have attended every year, including members of the local community, CMU students and tribal community members, said Colleen Green, director of Native American Programs.

“We hold the powwow every year as a tradition to strengthen our ties with the local tribes and to educate our students,” Green said. “You might not know what Native American culture entails, but you’ll see some of that by coming to the powwow.”

According to the program from a previous year, the event began as a celebration of new life, although regular participant and volunteer Jannan Cornstalk said it is more like a social gathering than a ceremony.

“Anyone is welcome to come and see Native American culture and eat Native American food,” Cornstalk said. “I have friends travelling from as far away as Chicago, and we see people coming from all over the U.S.”

Cornstalk said the event is special because not all American Indians are the same.

“We aren’t Hollywood Indians,” she said. “There are a lot of different costumes, and they’re all beautiful and handmade, and we want the community to come and share in our culture.”

Powwows are held all over the country, mostly in the spring and summer, Cornstalk said.

“It’s a big commitment, but I do it because I love our people and our culture,” she said. “It’s a good way to showcase the Native Americans here at CMU, and it makes us feel good about our culture and proud to be Native Americans.”

CMU students and Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe Tribal members can go for free with an I.D. Admission is $7 for the general public and $5 for senior citizens and children; a weekend pass costs $12.