‘Native Voices’ wraps Saturday with Teton Powwow

“This collaboration underscores the importance of educational initiatives that honor and uplift Indigenous narratives,” Ivan Posey, tribal education coordinator at Central Wyoming College, said in a statement.

Susan Durfee, Native Voices organizer for CWC, said the powwow has been growing since its inception in 2018. More than 65 tribes were represented in the dance competitions last year. But in many surveys, the Jackson Hole community requested even more learning opportunities.

“Our desire was to expand opportunities for our community to engage and appreciate the broad breadth of talents and cultural resources that the tribal members from our area all have,” she said.

From 5 to 6:30 p.m. this evening in the Center for the Arts Commons, Miracle Seminole and her mother, Cherokee Brown, will discuss their Star Quilts and their significance as they open a new Center exhibit. Seminole is a young quilt maker enrolled in the Northern Arapaho Tribe from the Wind River Reservation. Brown has taught her the art of quilt making and the traditions of the star quilt. Each quilt has four points. Four represents the cardinal directions — north, south, east, and west — and four symbolizes the stages of life: infancy, youth, maturity and old age.

The Teton Powwow and Native American Art Market, the “Native Voices” finale, will be a gathering of dance, music and community. It will run from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at Snow King Sports and Events Center. More than 60 tribes from across the West will be featured.