A series of events at Missouri State University throughout November, including a powwow Nov. 4-5, will spotlight Native American culture.
The events are part of Native and Indigenous Heritage Month, and will allow participants to study and celebrate the history of Native Americans.
“We’re honoring our first Nation’s people,” said Nina Barudzic, director of multicultural programs at Missouri State, in a press release. “And taking pride in all our collaborative efforts to support truth, visibility and justice for Native individuals.”
Before white settlers made their homes across southwest Missouri, the Ozarks were occupied by several tribes, including the Osage, Delaware, Kickapoo, Shawnee, Piankashaws, Peoria and Weas tribes, according to information from the Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In the 1820s and 1830s, many tribes were removed from their lands and forced to relocate to what is now Oklahoma. The Trail of Tears, the route several of those tribes took after being forcibly removed, stretches across Springfield and the Ozarks region.
The events on tap include:
• Native and Indigenous Heritage Month Powwow, from 2-8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Greenwood Laboratory School. Organized by the Multicultural Resource Center, this event has added a second day. It will feature traditional dancing, singing and tributes for Native American ancestors.
Powwows have become significant cultural celebrations for Native American tribes. They originated in the 1800s in northeast America with traveling medicine shows employing tribal members to dance for attendees, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Today, powwows can draw tribal members from across the country.
• Speaker with Student Activities Council, 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at Plaster Student Union Theater. The speaker has yet to be identified.
• Plains Indian Hand Game, 7 p.m. Nov. 28 at Plaster Student Union. The event features a guessing game played by Native Americans, where players guess in whose hands items are concealed.
The event includes special guests Yellowhair Family, members of the Kiowa tribe; Jeremy Shield of the Crow tribe; and representatives of Haskell Indian Nations University.
