Inclusive Excellence Celebrations

Intertribal Powwow

Inclusive Excellence Celebrations

Hosted by our Indigenous Student Union and the Office of Inclusive Excellence, with support from the Office of the President, Dancing in the Shadow of Sleeping Giant, Quinnipiac University’s Intertribal Powwow, offers the Quinnipiac and local Hamden communities an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous culture and traditions.

All events are free and open to the public. These events are supported by funding through Sunrise Healing Community Inc., with additional support from the Office of the President.

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Second Annual “Dancing in the Shadow of Sleeping Giant” Powwow

Sunday, April 19, noon to 5 p.m. (Grand Entry at 1 p.m.), Mount Carmel Campus

This free and open-to-the-public intertribal gathering celebrates Indigenous cultures and traditions through traditional dancing, singing and drumming, and features more than 15 Indigenous vendors offering arts, crafts and educational opportunities.

We welcome all guests to experience and enjoy the powwow. Please be mindful of the following guidelines to help honor traditions and ensure a respectful environment:

Follow all directions from the Arena Director(s) and Master of Ceremonies (MC), who will guide the event and share important context.
Stand during Grand Entry and Honor Songs, if you are able, and remove hats as a sign of respect. The MC will indicate when these begin and end.
Do not enter the dance circle once it has been blessed. Guests may only enter when invited (e.g., intertribal or social dances announced by the MC).
Photography and video are not permitted during Grand Entry, the Veterans Song, or any Honor Songs. At other times, always ask permission before photographing dancers, singers, or individuals.
Respect regalia — it is not a costume. Do not touch regalia without explicit permission from the dancer.
If a feather falls, do not pick it up. Feathers are sacred and must be handled according to tradition.
Seating areas marked for dancers or Elders are reserved. Do not sit in these areas or in seats held with blankets. Bringing your own chair is encouraged.
Powwows are drug- and alcohol-free events, and Quinnipiac University is a smoke-free campus.
Be respectful in language and behavior. Avoid stereotypes, jokes, or terms that may be offensive. Calling Native American men “Chief” would be considered very disrespectful, for instance.
Most importantly, be present, respectful, and enjoy the experience.

Parking

Public parking will be available in North Lot and Hogan Lot.

View parking maps

Dancer Registration

Registration is free and is on-site, opening at 11 a.m. on the day of the event.
The first 30 dancers registered in regalia will receive a $30 meal ticket and a free t-shirt.

Vendors

There will be over 15 Indigenous vendors at this event, selling food, jewelry, artwork and more. These vendors include:

Happy Eating Grounds
Taino Reworked
Taino Trinkets
Native Dezines
Jackson Creatives
Maki Arts
Kichwas Arts
Blue Sky Beads
JL Echoes
Mi’kmaq Style
Kiara’s Ribbon Skirts
Richie Olivera Flutes
Kieth Rood
Aaron Athey
Mia Slim
Rosalba Reyes
Shoran Piper

Additional Intertribal Powwow Events

We Ride for Her: A Documentary on the Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People

Thursday, April 16, 12:30–1:45 p.m., SB 102 Collaborative Classroom

Join us for a screening of We Ride for Her, a documentary short film highlighting the ongoing crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Relatives (MMIWGR) in the United States. With more than 5,500 cases and murder as the third leading cause of death for Native women, this urgent issue remains largely underrecognized.

Powwow Dancing with Sunrise Healing Community Inc.

Friday, April 17, 4:30–6 p.m., RWA 203

This interactive, educational workshop brings together the arts, cultural awareness and history of Powwow dancing. Snacks and giveaway prizes will also be available. This event is free and open to the public, and registration is not required.

Recap: Quinnipiac’s Inaugural Powwow

Quinnipiac’s inaugural powwow, “Dancing in the Shadow of Sleeping Giant,” filled the air with the sounds of traditional drumming and song accompanying dancers. It remade the Mount Carmel Quad with a central arena tent surrounded by smaller tents filled with Indigenous artisans and vendors and organizations providing activities and education tables.

The grand entrance which opened the powwow celebrated elders, esteemed guests and dancers entering the arena to the powerful music of three tribal drumming and signing groups. Following a prayer given by Golden Hill Paugussett Tribal Nation Clan Mother Shoran Waupatukuay Piper, Tanta-Quidgeon and Baker welcomed powwow participants and supportive community members from Quinnipiac and surrounding areas.

Read the full event recap

Group of people participating in the powwow

Additional Inaugural Events

“Indigenous Aid to Ireland During the Great Hunger” Exhibit Opening and Symposium

The exhibition explores the remarkable generosity of the Choctaws and Cherokees, who themselves had endured forced displacement only years earlier, as well as the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat Indigenous Peoples in Canada West, whose donations came at a time of increasing settler encroachment and broken treaties. This event offered a rare opportunity to reflect on a profound moment of historical solidarity and generosity between Indigenous communities and the Irish people, ensuring that these acts of kindness continue to be honored and remembered.

The exhibition includes:

Original government reports outlining treaty agreements from the 1830s
Historic maps of Ireland and the Trail of Tears
A sculpture honoring the Choctaw gift
Artwork by Philip Cote
A Wampum Belt, presented by the Haudenosaunee Nationals (formerly Iroquois Nationals) to Ireland Lacrosse in 2022, symbolizing the ongoing Circle of Giving

“Intertribal Powwow History and Dancing into the Future” Lunch and Learn

Participants learned about the history of the modern day intertribal powwow and how it showed up in the Northeast. Led by Chris Newell and endawnis Spears from the Akomawt Educational Initiative, this discussion also considered the role of the powwow in the context of the university and its connections to cultural reclamation and sovereignty. This event was free and open to the public.

Akomawt Blanket Exercise

Chris Newell and endawnis Spears from the Akomawt Educational Initiative led participants through the U.S. version of the KAIROS Blanket Exercise. The KAIROS Blanket Exercise program is a unique, interactive and participatory history lesson developed in collaboration with Indigenous Elders, knowledge keepers and educators. The Blanket Exercise covered more than 500 years in a 90-minute experiential workshop that aimed to foster understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Critical Conversation: “We’re All Part of this Story” with Sarah E. Harris, Vice Chairwoman of the Mohegan Tribe

To help acknowledge and respect indigenous people and their land, Quinnipiac University welcomed Mohegan Tribe Vice Chairperson Sarah E. Harris to speak with the university community.

Harris’ talk, “We’re All Part of This Story,” was hosted by the Office of Inclusive Excellence for Quinnipiac’s ongoing Critical Conversation Speaker Series. Her discussion focused on indigenous communities, people’s rights and how the Mohegan Tribe works with external communities and institutions. Harris also shared a fireside chat with Jennifer Rawlings, JD ’15, tribal affairs director for the Center for Indigenous Peoples Rights, and answered questions from the audience.

Read the full event recap

Powwow Dancing Workshop

An educational workshop led by Kiara Tanta-Quidgeon, an eastern blanket dancer, brought together the arts, cultural awareness and history of powwow dancing. Dinner was provided, and there was also an opportunity to win Indigenous-made jewelry and other prizes.

“Exploring Possibilities: Can Powwows Transform and Unsettle Higher Ed?” Lunch and Learn

Participants enjoyed a thoughtful dialogue and reflection on how the powwow fits within broader efforts to reimagine higher education through Indigenous epistemologies led by endawnis Spears from the Akomawt Educational Initiative