Powwow and Lūʻau Celebrate Indigenous Cultures

This past weekend, students and alumni from Dartmouth’s indigenous communities came together to share cultural traditions with the Upper Valley. Undaunted by a strong wind, dancers, singers, drummers and other participants gathered on Green Saturday from across the country for the 50th annual Green Saturday Dartmouth Pouwoworganized by the Native American Program Y Native Americans in Dartmouth (NAD).

On a warmer and sunnier Sunday, the annual DivingOrganized by the Hokupa`a student group, it featured hula dancing, ukulele music and a party on the Pacific islands.

The two-day event, co-sponsored by multiple campus partners, is part of a larger year-long celebration of three iconic 50th anniversaries. In 1972, Dartmouth became fully coeducational, recommitting to its original mission by establishing the Native American Studies Program (now the Department of Indian and Native American Studies), and strengthening the university’s black community by founding the Association of Dartmouth Black Alumni.

a golden anniversary

For 50 years, traditional chant and drumming have signaled the Grand Entrance, when the key participants, most recently led by the eagle staff bearer created by Vietnam veteran Trudell Guerue ’74, march to the center of the arena to begin the powwow. This year’s principal dancer was Atsa Zah, a member of the Narragansett Nation. The director was Kendra Eaglestar, a member of the Jemez Pueblo Nation. The emcee was Christopher Newell ’96, a member of Passamaquoddy…