This content was published: December 30, 2010. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
PCC celebrates 12th annual Wacipi powwow
Photos and story by James Hill
The Wacipi (“they dance”) Twelfth Annual Traditional Powwow takes center stage at Portland Community College this month to highlight Native American culture and ancestry.
During the blessing ceremony, local Native American dancers paid their respects at the 2010 PCC Winter Powwow. The event attracted more than a 1,000 visitors during the all-day festivities.
The event, which is free and open to the public, starts at noon on Saturday, Jan. 22, in the Health Technology Building, Sylvania Campus, 12000 S.W. 49th Ave. The powwow features drum groups and dancers from across the region as well as a variety of Native vendors, attracting more than 1,000 attendees every year. Grand entries of dancers along with drumming will be at 1 and 7 p.m. Other attractions at the powwow include a college fair from noon to 4 p.m. and a free community dinner at 5:30 p.m. Parking is also free and American Sign Language will be made available.
This year’s featured attractions include master of ceremonies Bob Tom (Confederated Tribes of Siletz and Grand Ronde), whip man Ed Goodell (Confederated Tribes of Siletz), and the Northwest Indian Veterans Association will serve as color guard. A portion of the proceeds from the powwow will go toward the PCC Foundation’s Native American Scholarship Fund.
The powwow is organized by the college’s Multicultural Center at the Sylvania Campus and supported by various organizations such as the Native American Rehabilitation Association, Northwest Regional Education Service District Title VII and NAYA Youth Family Center.
For more information, visit the website: www.pcc.edu/powwow
About James Hill
James G. Hill, an award-winning journalist and public relations writer, is the Director of Public Relations at Portland Community College. A graduate of Portland State University, James has worked as a section editor for the Newberg Graphic... more »