Powwow dancers in shawlsThe first annual Alumni and Student Powwow is set for June 3 and 4.

Weekend powwow an opportunity to connect to Indigenous cultures

The Alumni and Student Powwow, co-hosted by the University of Windsor Aboriginal Education Centre and St. Clair College’s Indigenous Student Services, will provide an opportunity for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students to connect to their cultures and community.

It promises drummers, dancers, singers, and craftspeople at St. Clair College’s SportsPlex, 2000 Talbot Rd., starting at 10:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday, June 3 and 4.

Organizers have invited 1,000 students from partnering school boards and expect to welcome more than 2,000 spectators for the two-day event.

Beverly Jacobs, senior advisor on Indigenous relations and outreach to the president at the University of Windsor, says the event is planned as the first in what will become an annual tradition.

“With the opening up of events and while still living through a horrific pandemic, this inaugural Alumni and Student Powwow is an exciting opportunity for us, as Indigenous peoples, to celebrate our culture and to share this with our alumni and students, with both institutions and with the public,” Dr. Jacobs says. “We look forward to seeing you there!”

Indigenous enrolment advisor Giselle Aiabens calls the event “a fitting way to wrap up the school year.”

“We’ll be connecting face-to-face with high school students who will also be looking forward to the fall and decisions they will be making regarding post-secondary education,” she says. “The powwow demonstrates to potential students that, in addition to all the other great reasons to choose UWindsor, the university supports and values Indigenous cultures.”

Learn more on the event website.