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What: U of M American Indian elders to host
educational powwow
When: Lecture and discussion from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Powwow from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 22
Where: Coffman Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E. Minneapolis
Who: U of M staff, students, general public
Contacts: Barbara Graham, U of M Woodlands Wisdom, (612) 625-1204
Bob San, University News Service, (612) 624-4082
U of M American Indian Elders to Host Educational Powwow
(Minneapolis/St. Paul)---Interested in powwows but know very little about their historical and
cultural significance? The University of Minnesota American Indian Elders' Council is hosting an
Educational Powwow that will provide answers to any questions one might have about powwows.
The daylong event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, at the Great Hall of
Coffman Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E. Minneapolis. The elders, who call the free event
"Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Powwows But Were Afraid to Ask," have invited
all U of M students, faculty and staff and the general public to attend.
The event begins at 9:30 a.m. when University of Minnesota American Indian studies professor
Dennis Jones will talk about what a powwow is. From 10 to 11 a.m. the elders will conduct a
question-and-answer session for people interested in learning about all aspects of powwow. A
powwow featuring 30 dancers ranging in age from young children to U of M students to elders,
will take place from 1 to 3 p.m.
"Attendees can expect to learn about the socio-cultural significance of traditional powwows
historically and today," said Barbara Graham, director of the university's Woodlands Wisdom, a
program that coordinates education exchanges between the university and seven tribal colleges in
Minnesota and Wisconsin. "They can hear elders representing the three main tribes across
Minnesota -- Ojibwa, Ho Chunk, and Lakota/Dakota-- discuss tribal difference in regalia (dress),
songs, drums, language, and the many ceremonies embedded in powwows. Participants will be
encouraged to ask questions. Additionally, they will learn how the historic American Indian
Elders' Council came to be and how university faculty, staff and students can contact this valuable
resource. This is an excellent learning opportunity for students, and we hope faculty will consider
assigning attendance for credit."
The Council of Elders was established in 1995 to provide cultural, spiritual, and personal
counseling and advice to American Indian students, academic units and administrative units at the
University of Minnesota. In addition to the Council of Elders, other sponsors of the powwow are
the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the University of Minnesota Alliance of Native Scholars.
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