Photos: Thousands gather at CSULB for 52nd annual Pow Wow festival
The event 'allows us to express ourselves, keep our culture alive, keep us moving forward as a people and show that we’re still here as a community,' said Walter Ahhaitty of the Kiowa tribe.
The sound of powwow drums fills the air long before the event comes into view — an open field dotted with pop-up tents where thousands have gathered. Many wear colorful, chiming regalia as they perform traditional Native American dances in a circle during the 52nd annual Pow Wow festival at Cal State Long Beach.
“It means a lot to me because I get to see other tribes come out and celebrate their culture and how other people dance,” Serafinah Gibson-Nieto, 15, of the Tule River Yokut tribe, said of the event. Gibson-Nieto traveled from her tribe’s reservation near Porterville in the San Joaquin Valley with her family to attend the weekend event.
When asked why this type of gathering is important, Gibson-Nieto said, simply, “So we’re not forgotten. For our ancestors — to remember their stories and keep the traditions alive.”
The two-day event is a celebration of American Indian culture and features dancing, arts, crafts and food such as mutton and beef stew, Navajo tacos and fry bread. In addition to dance contests, the event features inter-tribal dancing.
For a full list of activities and times, click here.
The festival also features numerous vendors selling traditional and contemporary American Indian art and goods.
CSULB’s annual event is the largest university-based powwow west of the Mississippi River, according to the school. Drawing upward of 6,000 people each year, the festival is the largest annual gathering of Native Americans in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Established by American Indian students in 1969, Pow Wow is the largest and oldest continuously running student-sponsored event at CSULB. In fact, this year the was event moved to the intramural rugby and soccer fields rather than the upper quad because it has outgrown the space, according to the university.
“It allows us to express ourselves, keep our culture alive, keep us moving forward as a people and show that we’re still here as a community,” said Walter Ahhaitty, 57, of the Kiowa tribe of Oklahoma. “Being around it all my life, it invigorates me mentally, physically and spiritually.”
“It defines who we are. It’s our very essence of who we are as a people,” Ahhaitty said of the traditions carried on at Pow Wow each year. “This is who we are. It’s not a game. It’s not a joke. It’s not something we do because it’s the weekend. It’s our culture.”
Pow Wow continues Sunday, March 9 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Parking is free in the Palo Verde North and South structures as well as lots G13 and G14.
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