UMass Boston

More than 500 Indigenous and non-Indigenous attendees, including many local tribal community members and leaders, gathered at UMass Boston’s Clark gymnasium on May 4, 2025 for a powwow, celebrating Native culture through food, music, art, and dance.

Last year marked the return of the UMass Boston annual powwow after a hiatus since 2017.  This year’s powwow was a significantly larger event and marked the second year in a row that Columbia Point has hosted the only powwow in the city of Boston.

A Native American powwow is an opportunity to bring people together for reflection, celebration, to give thanks, and to honor the traditions and cultures of Native ancestors and the resilience of contemporary Native communities.  The UMass Boston Powwow this year brought together organizations and vendors from across the state, including artisans offering a variety of handcrafted wares including beading, leatherwork, and jewelry. In keeping with the visibility our campus seeks to bring to Indigenous artists, this year the powwow also featured a table hosted by UMass Boston’s Arts on the Point, for attendees of the powwow to partake in participatory elements of a public artwork, Transmutation, by Indigenous artist Cannupa Hanska Luger. Luger’s sculpture was installed on UMass Boston’s campus at the end of the Spring 2025 semester and will remain on campus until October 2025 as part of the Boston Triennial.

This year, the powwow received generous support from numerous partners: the Institute for New England Native American Studies, UMass Boston’s Native American and Indigenous Studies Program (NAIS), UMass Boston’s Native and Indigenous Student Association (NISA), the UMass Boston Chancellor’s Office, the UMass Boston Student Multicultural Affairs Office (SMCA), the UMass Boston Athletics Department, the City of Boston Mayor’s Office of Equity & Inclusion, National Grid, and Native American Lifelines Inc.

“The return and the growth of the UMB Powwow this year is a tremendous achievement for our student organizers. To see that the number of our attendees and dancers has almost doubled from last year, is so encouraging, and we have been especially happy to see that it was so well attended by local community members from so many tribes. That’s our ultimate goal—to make this an event for the community.” said Assistant Professor and NAIS Director Maria John. Echoing these sentiments, powwow organizer and NISA advisor Jamie Morrison reflected, “The Powwow drew considerably larger numbers this year compared to last. It was a great day that is quickly becoming a can't miss event on the Spring Powwow Calendar in the Northeast.”

Tribal and organizational leaders in attendance included Sagamore Faries Gray, Elder and Board Treasurer Elizabeth Solomon, and Board Clerk Alysha Gray of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag, Mashpee Wampanoag Chief Earl Mills Jr., Hassanamisco Nipmuc sub-chief Troy Philips, Hassanamisco council member Bruce Curliss, former Mashpee Tribal Council Vice Chair Carlton Hendricks, Aquinnah Wampanoag Councilwoman Camille Madison, Roaming Buffalo Wabanaki (Abenaki), Board Vice President of the North American Indian Center of Boston, Dawn Duncan (Cherokee & Powhatan), Board Member Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness (MCNAA), and others.  NAICOB staff, MCNAA board members, and Native American Lifelines also were in attendance, showing strong community support.

“As an annual event, this powwow demonstrates that UMass Boston is committed to supporting Native students, faculty, and staff, and prioritizes engaging with the broader Native community in the region.,” said Cedric Woods, director of the New England Institute for Native American Studies. "The most recent powwows at UMass Boston build on a tradition of cultural and dance exhibition events of the 1990s and early 2000s.  UMass Boston is grateful to be at a place where we can now support the full protocol of a powwow."

Organized primarily by Jamie Morrison, Rachel Winters, and Dawn Anderson of the Institute for New England Native American Studies, with significant contributions from the Native and Indigenous Student Association (NISA) student leaders Andrea Molina Palacios, Arianna Fernandez, Kristen Delatour, and alumnus Brittney Walley.

There was a grand entry of dancers dressed in traditional regalia followed by a variety of community dances including a stomp dance, round dance, and more.  

The head men’s dancer was Caesar Hendricks (Mashpee Wampanoag) who is a second year student and member of the men’s lacrosse team. The head women’s dancer was Hialeah Turner-Foster (Mashpee/Nipmuc) a second year student who is also a member of the women’s basketball and track teams. Other UMB students and alums participated including masters degree alumnus Britney Walley (Nipmuc). 

The Iron River Singers served as the host drum, joined by Red Hawk Singers as guest drums. Justin Beatty was the powwow emcee and Bruce Curliss served as the arena director. 

“Last year I think we were especially proud of the enormous effort our students put into revitalizing the powwow after such a long hiatus, but this year, we are equally proud of how hard they have worked to sustain the momentum from last year, in order to build an event that exceeded all our expectations and hopes. They really pulled off a lot this year, and we couldn’t be more grateful or proud.” John said. “As with last year, I hope the visibility brought by this year’s powwow will continue to make our Indigenous students on campus feel supported, seen, and celebrated. All of us organizers also hope the event will continue to make our local Indigenous community partners feel like our campus is also theirs.”