CWC United Tribes Club hosts Pow Wow in Jackson

Teton County Fairgrounds will be the location of the first Central Wyoming College powwow at noon on Saturday, Sept. 21. The event will honor and celebrate American Indian culture and history.  

CWC’s powwow is student-run by the United Tribe Club. The event is open to the public to see American Indian dancing, which will last all day. The grand entrance will be at noon and dances will continue until 6 pm. There will also be American Indian art, crafts and food. will be available for purchase alongside educational opportunities to learn more about our neighboring tribes.  The entrance will open at 11 am.

A powwow is a social gathering of tribal members as well as a competition of dance and music but is also an increasingly valuable expression of identity. ”

Susan Durfee, director of CWC Jackson

Tribal members from various tribes come together to compete in various dance forms where each will perform a dance, and each dance is partnered with traditional, corresponding regalia. From headdresses to shawls, the attire is as expressive as the movement and associated with a particular dance form. At the end of the day, a panel of judges organized by a Master of Ceremony will vote on 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

Jackson sits a little more than two hours from the fifth-largest American Indian reservation in the country.

“Thanks to the help from the Town of Jackson and CWC’s Jackson campus, American Indians from neighboring communities and from right here in Jackson will proudly display their heritage at the Teton County Fairgrounds,” Durfee said.

The Teton PowWow is free to the public and is co-sponsored by the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, the Wyoming Humanities Council and the Town of Jackson.  The Wyoming Humanities Council has developed a handout about etiquette at powwows which reminds viewers that this is a tradition that honors a rich heritage by bringing together many different tribes and communities to celebrate their culture through dance, song and socializing.   

The entrance opens at 11 am and the Teton PowWow Grand Entrance begins at noon Sept. 21 in the grassy area at Teton County Fairgrounds. For more information, please contact CWC-Jackson Director Susan Durfee at 307-200-6150 or jacksoninfo@cwc.edu.