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Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 6/5/08 |
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In
the News Archive - Year:
April 13, 2008 State's powwow-goers look to the young Event helps pass along traditions of Native Americans By Nathan Phelps
A member of the Menominee Tribe of Indians, Dodge was one of the dancers at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay's Intertribal Student Council Pow-Wow on Saturday.
"When I was young, hardly anyone was involved," he said. "As I'm getting older there's more singers, more dancers and my kids and grandkids are more willing to come out."
Dodge's 1-year-old grandson wasn't far away as Dodge dressed prior to the grand entry at Saturday's event.
"We figure we'll get him here, let him start hearing the music, getting use to the dancers and hopefully when he gets a little bit older he'll be out there dancing with me," he said.
Like Dodge, Lynn Summers of Oneida said he sees more young people at powwows and taking an interest in their culture.
"Pretty soon a lot of these older people are going to be gone, and they're going to have to carry on the culture," he said.
For event organizers, the powwow was an opportunity to further cultural awareness on campus and in the community.
"We realize the majority of students here are Euro-American ... and we're trying to get them to understand a different culture than most of their own," said Nichole Merckes, a senior and vice president of the Intertribal Student Council at the university. "A lot of people don't know about native traditions and life."
The university recently implemented a First Nations major that covers a broad study of Native American culture from oral tradition to tribal government and language, Merckes said.
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