Gathering of Nations- Pow Wow

Gathering of Nations- Pow Wow

In the fourth week of April, we celebrate the Gathering of Nations in a Pow Wow style celebration. Pow Wows are a celebration of the indigenous American Indian Culture. The Gathering of Nations is one of the largest Pow Wow events. More than 3,000 diverse nations and tribes from the United States and Canada come together to celebrate. The celebration takes place Thursday through Saturday, April 27th-April 29th. This event typically takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico and continues to do so this year.

While this is a beautiful celebration, the history of Indians in America has not always been like this. While Native Americans reached the continent 15,000 years ago and lived peacefully, their lives changed drastically when the Europeans arrived. Many Native American cultures were destroyed in the process of colonization. However, they were strong and a few cultures survived and scattered around the United States. We come together to celebrate this surviving culture and everything they went through to persevere every year.

The celebration is huge with traditional songs, dances, and rituals to honor their culture. Take a look at one of the dances here which accurately depicts what the Gathering of Nations is all about, a celebration of culture.

Anyone can celebrate this event. It is incredibly important today for all diverse cultures to come together and celebrate our beautiful world we live in today.