We Are Here: Powwow and Higher Education in North Carolina

Powwows have always been marked by simultaneous internal, community-strengthening, and external, recognition-building, aspects. They have also been marked by their malleability and potential for customization by each community that holds them. This includes powwows held by colleges and universities, where contemporary powwows provide a space for Indigenous students to engage in fellowship while also increasing their visibility on campus for their non-Indigenous peers. Through a collection of interviews with current and former students and staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this article explores the social and political importance of powwows in higher education.