2024

CU Boulder Fall 2024 Powwow: A Resounding Celebration of Culture and Connection

Lila Crank — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 23:34:31 +0000

CU Boulder Fall 2024 Powwow: A Resounding Celebration of Culture and Connection Lila Crank Thu, 12/05/2024 - 16:34

The Fall 2024 Powwow at CU Boulder marked the return of a beloved tradition to campus after a 23-year hiatus. On September 28, Farrand Field became a vibrant hub of song, dance, and storytelling, as over 1,500 attendees gathered to celebrate Native community, build connections, and honor Native students. Over 70 dancers and 25 drummers also joined the powwow, representing six different states and at least 20 tribes.

Photo Credits: Karla Garcia Trujillo

The CU Boulder Fall 2024 Powwow was far more than a cultural event on campus—it was a powerful act of community-building and a reflection of CU Boulder’s Land Acknowledgment in action. The powwow was woven together by the tremendous efforts of staff and faculty, the work and vision of students, the participation, council, and support of community members, and administrative leaders who are dedicated to the thriving and joy of Native students at CU Boulder.

Dance categories from Tiny Tots to Golden Age, including Jingle, Grass, Fancy, and Traditional, brought dynamic energy to the arena, led by Head Staff and Drums. The day was enriched by the guidance of experienced Arena Director Phil Gover, Audio Engineer Anthony Crank, and Spiritual Leader Marty ChaseAlone who upheld the Powwow’s sacred purpose.

Vendors showcased stunning artistry, from beadwork and jewelry to textiles and foods, while educational moments offered attendees a deeper understanding of the cultural and spiritual significance of Powwows.

Photo Credits: Johnette Martin

Acknowledging Key Contributions

The Fall 2024 CU Boulder Powwow was made possible through a collaborative effort among diverse partners who contributed expertise, resources, and community connections. Key collaborators included the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS), which led logistical planning and financial coordination; the Center for Inclusion and Social Change (CISC), which managed media, cultural competency efforts, and event organization; and 1st Tribal Consulting, providing invaluable guidance and day-of support. Departments across campus, including Student Affairs, the Environmental Center, Theatre & Dance, Recreation Center, and the College of Music, provided essential funding, resources, and staff support, ensuring the Powwow's success. Together, these partners revived a vibrant tradition that celebrated Indigenous culture and community.

Importantly, Native students were integral to not only the execution of the day, but also aspects of the organizing. The undergraduate Oyate Native American and Indigenous Student Organization's early planning and vision laid the foundation for this event, and the Native Graduate Student Group generously offered community connections that helped bring the Powwow to life.

We also extend heartfelt gratitude to Steven LaPointe and Earlidawn Roy from 1st Tribal Consulting, the event’s Master of Ceremonies and Tabulator, respectively. The couple's contributions went far beyond their roles on the day-of. Steve and Erlidawn provided invaluable pre-event consultation, sharing their vast network of expertise, and offering cultural education throughout the powwow.

Sustainability and Community Collaboration

The Powwow embodied a commitment to sustainability, achieving an impressive 89% waste diversion rate with the generous donations of waste bins and staffing from the Environmental Center. Additionally, 100 volunteers from across the community, all of whom attended cultural sensitivity training prior to the powwow, played an essential role in executing the event. Volunteers aided with every aspect of event logistics, from set up/take down, escorting elders in golf carts, to handing out water on the hot day. Volunteers included CU Boulder and CU Denvers students, staff, and faculty, as well as people in leadership positions both at CU and in community organizations, such as the Boulder Public Library.

The powwow was beautiful and fun! I enjoyed having the opportunity to volunteer, connect with people in my community, and learn from native students and staff who organized the volunteer training and the event. Thank you!
- S

It was too much fun as Native Uber-NU
For VINs- “Very Important Natives”
Would do it again
- H

Great powwow! I’m looking forward to many more at CU Boulder! I’m glad to have been a part of this awesome event.
- A

It was wonderful to see the event come together and to support community and colleagues in making a long-held vision, real.
- T

Indeed, partnerships with CU Boulder departments, local organizations, and Native communities provided the critical support needed to make this celebration possible. The revival of the CU Boulder Powwow was made possible by the generous support of numerous internal and external co-sponsors. Internal contributors included the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS), Center for Inclusion and Social Change (CISC), Department of Theatre & Dance, College of Music, Department of Ethnic Studies, CU Art Museum, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Dean of Student Success, Student Affairs, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of History, Women and Gender Studies Program, School of Education, Leeds School of Business, Renee Crown Wellness Institute, Recreation Center, Fiske Planetarium, Health and Wellness Services, the American Indian Alumni Association, the Office of Community and Government Affairs, Center for the American West, and the Arts and Sciences JEDI Initiative.

External partners included New Era Colorado Grant, First Nations Development Institute, Boulder Public Library, Read Queen Bookstore, and Greenhouse Scholars.

The combined efforts of these co-sponsors raised the funds needed to make this cultural event a vibrant and meaningful celebration.

Photo Credits: Karla Garcia Trujillo

Looking Ahead with the Charge of an Eagle Staff

Our students had the great honor of being gifted an Eagle Staff special made by family of JMichael Crank. The charge of this staff is the spirit with which we hope to approach all future powwows - to take responsibility for one another's wellbeing, to be steadfast in our advocacy for Native peoples, and honoring community through gathering regularly.

We received surveys from 25% of our audience and have valuable feedback for future powwows. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from attendees emphasized the event’s warm and inclusive atmosphere. Native students remarked how important it was for them to feel at home and the significance of the day on their sense of belonging. To follow the charge of the eagle staff, CNAIS and CISC would like to see this experience sustained and further enhanced. To do so, alongside other organizing partners and various campus stakeholders, we are identifying how to better navigate, and minimize or even eliminate, institutional barriers for powwow planning and external Native community integration.

Additionally, to sustain and grow this tradition, we invite the community to support future Powwows through donations, sponsorships, and volunteer efforts.

Thank you to everyone who participated in and contributed to this unforgettable celebration of our beautiful CU Boulder Indigenous community. Together, we can ensure that the Powwow tradition continues to thrive at CU Boulder for years to come!

Photo Credit: Glenn Asakawa

Media Coverage

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/colorado/news/university-colorado-indigenous-students-celebrate-homelands-first-time-decades/

https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/video/cu-students-host-first-indigenous-pow-wow-in-over-two-decades/

https://www.dailycamera.com/2024/09/28/photos-2014-cu-boulder-pow-wow-at-farrand-field/

https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/after-more-than-2-decades-fall-powwow-makes-grand-return-to-university-of-colorado-boulder-campus

Photo Credits: Johnette Martin

Names of Key Participants and Staff

HEAD STAFF

Master of Ceremonies:

Steven LaPointe

Tabulator:

ErliDawn Roy

Spiritual Advisor:

Marty ChaseAlone

Arena Director:

Phil Gover

Head Woman:

Rebekah HorseChief

Head Man:

Phillip Moosomin

Head Young Woman:

Maya Contreras

Head Young Man:

JaRon Fowler

Color Guard:

Arapaho Color Guard & Native American Women Warriors

Northern Drum:

Drifting Bull

Southern Drum:

Shield Chief

STUDENT LEADERS AND ORGANIZERS

Undergraduate

Alfredo Bitsoi, Oyate President and CNAIS Intern

Artemis Nopah, Oyate Social Chair

Deelia Sherman, Oyate Communications Chair

Jacob Fenner, former Oyate Co-President

Graduate

Saydie Sago, Native Graduate Student Group Leadership Council Member and PhD student in Integrative Physiology

Revaline Nez, Native Graduate Student Group Leadership Council Member, CNAIS Graduate Student Representative, and PhD student in the School of Education

Karla Garcia Trujillo, Native Graduate Student Group Leadership Council Member and PhD student in the School of Education

Johnette Martin, Graduate Student at the American Music Research Center and Powwow Photographer

MAIN ORGANIZING STAFF/FACULTY

Dr. Junior Reina, Program Manager for Native and Indigenous Students (CISC)

Lila Crank, Office Manager for the Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies

Anya Cloud, Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance

The CU Boulder Fall 2024 Powwow In Review

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Photo Credit: Karla Garcia Trujillo

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Living the Land Acknowledgment: Celebrating Fall 2024 Campus Partners

Lila Crank — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:31:44 +0000

Living the Land Acknowledgment: Celebrating Fall 2024 Campus Partners Lila Crank Thu, 12/05/2024 - 14:31

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies (CNAIS) is thrilled to recognize the invaluable contributions of campus partners who have modeled living the land acknowledgment through their support of Native and Indigenous initiatives this fall semester. These collaborations have strengthened CNAIS’s ability to advance awareness, engagement, and education on Indigenous perspectives across the university.

Honoring Indigenous Peoples Day

The Office of the Senior Vice �Թ�� for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion played a lead role in planning and supporting events for Indigenous Peoples Day, fostering meaningful campus-wide engagement with Native stories, scholarship, and futures.

Powwow and Event Support

This year’s powwow, a cornerstone of CNAIS’s fall programming, flourished thanks to:

The CU Boulder Recreation Center, for waiving costs associated with hosting the event on Farrand Field, including venue and staffing fees.
Student Affairs, whose financial support ensured the success of this vital cultural event.
- The Intercultural Engagement Team at the Center for Inclusion and Social Change, with special recognition to Junior Reina, Program Manager for Native and Indigenous Students, and Amanda Linsenmeyer, Program Director, for their tireless dedication to collaborative efforts that enriched Native and Indigenous programming.
The College of Arts & Sciences, as the largest financial contributor to the powwow through their Dean's Innovation Grant.
The Theatre and Dance Department, whose faculty and staff—led by Anya Cloud, recipient of the Dean’s Innovation Grant—provided administrative, financial, and creative support for the powwow.
The Dean of Student Success, whose financial support ensured the successful execution of the powwow.
The Boulder Public Library, which hosted a Powwow 101 and Powwow Volunteer Training event in early September, was present at the powwow to offer library resources to community members.
- The Volunteer Services Department Manager, Sophia Surage, offered tremendous support in developing the volunteer recruitment and management system our staff used for the powwow.
- Events Team Member Emma Schere offered collaborative and financial event support for the Powwow 101 event, the Native Vote event from the Law School, and our end-of-semester crafting event on December 6.
The Native Graduate Student Group, which facilitated connections with the Northern Drum and Head Young Man, as well as supported advertising efforts and strengthened community connection and contributed as one of the event’s two Native student photographers, capturing meaningful moments throughout the powwow.
The Oyate Native American and Indigenous Student Organization, which initiated the event's organization by prioritizing student voices, ensuring that the Powwow authentically represented the interests, needs, and perspectives of Native students.

CARE Workshop: Indigenous-Led Conservation

CNAIS partnered with the Institute of Behavioral Science through Dr. Mara Benjamin to host the Conservation and Relational Ecologies (CARE) Workshop. This workshop will brought together academics and practitioners from across the �Թ�� of Colorado campus, and around the world to share ideas, stories, concerns and success stories with each other and the wider audience, on how to bridge global conservation needs within science and policy agendas with Indigenous knowledge, ways of living, and ways of “doing conservation and natural resource management.”

Interdisciplinary Collaborations

The College of Arts and Sciences CU in the City: Community Scholars Program supported CNAIS with the talented CNAIS intern Alfredo Bitsoi, who contributed significantly to the Native American and Indigenous Studies (NAIS) course and event programming.
The Theatre and Dance Department, in collaboration with Creative Nations, helped launch the inaugural First Storyteller’s Festival, celebrating Indigenous storytelling in October.
The Center for the American West offered programming aligned with CNAIS’s mission, our centers engaging in reciprocal co-sponsorships throughout the semester.

Building Bridges

Associate Vice �Թ�� for Native American Affairs Benny Shendo, from the Office of Community and Government Affairs, played a crucial role in networking, fundraising, and advocating for Indigenous initiatives, particularly the powwow.

A Special Thanks to the Center for Inclusion and Social Change (CISC)

CISC has been an exceptional partner this semester, offering innovative programming, student-focused advocacy, and a platform for intercultural dialogue. Under the leadership of the Intercultural Engagement Team, CISC has consistently supported Native and Indigenous student interests on campus and collaborated closely with CNAIS deliver impactful events. The Intercultural Engagement Program Director Amanda Linsenmeyer serves as the CU Staff Representative on the CNAIS Internal Advisory Board.

Special recognition goes to Junior Reina, whose unwavering commitment to Native and Indigenous students has fostered a sense of community and empowerment on campus. Junior has transitioned out of this position, but has made a tremendous impact on the CU campus in the year he was here.

CNAIS extends its heartfelt gratitude to all these partners and the many others from this semester for their exceptional contributions. Their dedication has brought the university community closer to living the principles of land acknowledgment through actionable support and collaboration. Together, these efforts have created spaces for Indigenous students, scholarship, and knowledge systems to thrive.

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CNAIS Director Dr. Andy Cowell Concludes Term, Welcomes Dr. Leila Gómez as Interim Director

Lila Crank — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:14:11 +0000

CNAIS Director Dr. Andy Cowell Concludes Term, Welcomes Dr. Leila Gómez as Interim Director Lila Crank Thu, 12/05/2024 - 14:14

The upcoming Spring semester marks a significant transition for CNAIS, as Dr. Andy Cowell concludes his tenure as Director effective January 1. After years of dedicated service, Dr. Cowell leaves behind a legacy of transformative leadership, having strengthened CNAIS’s commitment to Indigenous scholarship, community engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

In his final remarks, Dr. Cowell reflected on the progress CNAIS has made during his directorship, emphasizing the collective efforts of the faculty, students, and community partners who have shaped the significant institutional shifts for Native and Indigenous peoples on CU Boulder campus. Read his full statement here.

Dr. Leila Gómez, Professor of Women and Gender Studies and current CNAIS Internal Advisory Board Member, will step into the role of interim director for the Spring semester.

The CNAIS community extends its heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Cowell for his exemplary leadership!

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CNAIS Welcomes Three New Native Faculty to our Core Faculty Community

Lila Crank — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 20:20:49 +0000

CNAIS Welcomes Three New Native Faculty to our Core Faculty Community Lila Crank Thu, 12/05/2024 - 13:20

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies is proud to announce the addition of three distinguished Native scholars to its core faculty community for the fall semester of 2024.

Joining the CNAIS Core Faculty are:

Vanessa Racehorse, J.D. (Shoshone-Bannock, Cherokee Nation, and Shoshone-Paiute), Associate Professor of Law whose work focuses on American Indian & Indigenous Peoples law, human rights, international law, and environmental justice.

Dr. Kelsey John (Diné), Assistant Professor of Native American and Indigenous Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies. She studies interspecies learning in tribal communities, with a focus on equine-human interactions and Native American horse cultures/histories. She finds her theoretical locations within BIPOC feminisms, Indigenous studies, human-animal interaction, Diné Studies, and foundations of education.

Dr. Jaquetta Shade-Johnson (Cherokee), Assistant Professor in the Program for Writing and Rhetoric. Her research at the intersections of cultural rhetorics, Indigenous studies, and environmental humanities is primarily focused on how Indigenous communities make meaning through rhetorical, embodied, and storied relationships with the land.

The addition of these remarkable scholars furthers CNAIS’s commitment to advancing Native and Indigenous scholarship while providing students with the opportunity to engage deeply with diverse Indigenous perspectives.

CNAIS extends a warm welcome to Professors Racehorse, John, and Shade-Johnson and looks forward to the innovative and impactful work they will bring to our campus.

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Some Thoughts from the Departing Director

Lila Crank — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 18:51:03 +0000

Some Thoughts from the Departing Director Lila Crank Thu, 12/05/2024 - 11:51

Andy Cowell

CNAIS looking back six years, and looking forwards

It has been a pleasure serving as Director of CNAIS for the past six years. During that time, we have seen a major increase in the institutional standing of Native and Indigenous affairs within the CU system especially at CU-Boulder. We created a formal Land Acknowledgement statement that promised to act, not just speak and acknowledge. Indeed, CU has begun offering in-state tuition to enrolled students from 48 tribes. We have created a new Associate Vice �Թ�� position for Native American Affairs. We have created a new staff position in Student Affairs specifically dedicated to supporting Native students on campus. CNAIS’ operating budget has been substantially increased, allowing us to begin offering research grants to students and faculty, and the Director and Office Manager positions have been upgraded. We have also recruited a strong External Advisory Board. And the campus hosted its first Powwow in many years this past September. In the area of teaching, CNAIS is about to propose a new course on Ute/Cheyenne/Arapaho history and culture and also plans to upgrade our NAIS certificate to a Minor.

It's great to celebrate these advances. More importantly, however, CNAIS is now poised to build on this new stability and support by expanding our role on the campus and in the community. One future need is to build stronger connections to research and teaching programs in Natural Sciences, Business, and Engineering. CNAIS has unique contributions to bring to those areas, and especially to Native students in those fields. We also want to continue expanding our focus beyond Native North America to a hemispheric and even global range. Within the past couple of years, we have been working to develop improved mentoring for Native graduate students in STEM fields; we have co-hosted the UN Expert Group Meeting on “Indigenous Peoples in a Greening Economy”; we played a major role in the UN/CU “Right Here/Right Now” Global Climate Summit; we have helped pilot a Tribal Climate Leader’s Program; and we recently co-hosted a global symposium on Indigenous People and Conservation. All of these programs offer models for how the reach of CNAIS can expand beyond our core strength in Native and Indigenous Studies (primarily based in the Arts and Humanities, Music, Education, and the Social Sciences) to collaborate productively both within and beyond academic frameworks.

To expand successfully, we’ll need to increase our funding, through more grant-writing and engagement with foundations and other donors. And of course, we’ll need your support as well. Small research seed grants and summer fellowships can be crucial for graduate student success, and even money to help our Native Graduate Student Group pay for coffee happy hours is an important contribution to building connections and community. Your contributions also can allow us to hire or support undergraduate student interns, who gain valuable experience in Native Affairs, especially when coming from fields such as the natural sciences, like our current intern.

So thank you for your interest and support in CNAIS over the last six years and longer, and I hope you’ll be enthusiastic about supporting us into the future as we strive to strengthen Native studies and community at CU!

Andrew Cowell

Donate to CNAIS Today!

Departing Director Andrew Cowell on CNAIS looking back six years, and looking forwards

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