PHOENIX, Ore. – May 21st marked the return of the Southern Oregon University’s Native American Student Union Annual Powwow. Tribes from all over the nation gathered at the Phoenix High School football field to celebrate their culture.
Organizers say this powwow is a healing event after the events of the Almeda Fire and the pandemic. Organizers say this is the first in-person powwow in two years due to the pandemic and they were happy to see everyone back.
“As an indigenous person it’s like these powwows are very important to a lot of us, this is a really important community event and then finally seeing it come to life, and hearing these drums and feeling these drums, it hits different, it hits you right in the sole,” said Kayla Dumore, Co-chair of the Native American Student Union.
Dumore says all of the people who helped put this event together are either current or past SOU students. She says she helped but on the event to provide a space for people to share their culture the school credits were a bonus.
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