NASU celebrates Mother’s Day with annual pow wow

The UO’s Native American Student Union will celebrate Mother’s Day with dancing, food and music at the 46th annual Mother’s Day Pow Wow May 9 and 10 at Matthew Knight Arena.

The event is free and open to the community.

The weekend will kick off with a full-dress grand entry Friday at 7 p.m. The grand entry is a ceremonial event that starts with the entry of the eagle staff and includes dancers, color guards, tribal elders and drumming. Nick Sixkiller will be the master of ceremonies.

Two grand entries will be held at the arena Saturday. Also on Saturday, a dinner will be held at the Many Nations Longhouse, located  at 16th Avenue and Columbia Street behind the UO School of Law.

A community salmon bake will be held Sunday, also at the Longhouse. The weekend also includes a competition pow wow with adult and teen categories and an all-ages grass dance.

NASU is the second-oldest student union at UO and has been part of campus for 40 years. Its mission is to help indigenous people maintain cultural values while at the university and contribute to the support and educational success of the Native American community. They also participate in the recruitment and retention of Native American students.

The event is sponsored by the Office of the President and the vice presidential offices of student affairs, equity and inclusion, research and innovation, university relations, finance and administration and enrollment management.

Visit the event page for the full schedule of events. For more information call 541-346-3723 or e-mail at asuonasu@uoregon.edu.

―By Katherine Cook, Public Affairs Communications intern