Drums and the rhythm of dancing feet echoed through the Toldo Lancer Centre as hundreds gathered for the fifth annual Alumni and Student Pow Wow, Saturday, May 2.
The celebration continues to grow in both size and significance for the University and the wider community.
Co-hosted with St. Clair College, the event welcomed an estimated 400 to 500 attendees, bringing together students, alumni, families, Elders and visitors from across Windsor-Essex and the province. Organizers said the turnout reflects the event's expanding reach.
The fifth annual Alumni and Student Pow Wow featured traditional dancing, drumming, singing, an artisan market and a community feast. The event held May 2 is rooted in traditional cultural protocols and shared experience. (PHOTO BY KYLE ARCHIBALD/University of Windsor)
"It felt like the whole community kind of came together for that one afternoon," said Victoria Hecnar, Indigenous outreach and retention coordinator, Turtle Island Indigenous Student Services Centre.
"It was just a really nice day of connection with community and celebrating tradition."
From newborns attending their first pow wow to Elders sharing knowledge and stories, the gathering reflected a full spectrum of generations and experiences. Hecnar noted that this diversity is part of what makes the event so special each year.
"We had a really nice mix of people," she said.
"For a lot of people not just the babies, but adults too it was their first pow wow. It's so important to make that experience memorable and to make them feel welcomed."
The pow wow featured traditional dancing, drumming, singing, an artisan market and a community feast. The event is rooted in traditional cultural protocols and shared experience.
For Hecnar, the most meaningful aspect isn't any single moment, but the collective feeling of the day itself.
"Leading up to it is kind of stressful," she said with a laugh.
"But the day of just seeing it all come together, seeing how happy everyone is that's the best part."
Hecnar believes the pow wow and hosting partnership between St. Clair College and the University is crucial to strengthening relationships, the event's continued growth and ensuring its place as a key date on the community calendar.
Head male dancer D.J. White reflected on the event's continued evolution, noting the strength of the collective effort behind it.
"The committee, head staff, singers, dancers, community volunteers and supporters made this pow wow all the more," White said.
"There's lots of space in the dance arena and seeing how this pow wow has really grown over the years is excellent."
Hecnar and the organizing team welcome the recognition.
"It's becoming something that people really look forward to," Hecnar said.
"Vendors, volunteers, people coming from out of town - they're marking it down as an important one to attend. It's becoming a staple."
