Whitman College to Host First Powwow

Walla Walla's Whitman College to Host First On-Campus Pášx̣apa Powwow

This weekend, Whitman College in Walla Walla is hosting the inaugural Pášx̣apa Powwow with support from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and Walla Walla Community College. The powwow will bring the beautiful culture of local tribes to campus in a celebration of singing, drumming, and dancing. 

Whitman College, Walla Walla

The Pášx̣apa Powwow is free and open to the public. It will take place on Saturday, November 18, 2023, in the Whitman College Sherwood Center’s multi-purpose gymnasium. Doors to the Powwow will open at 12:00 p.m., and grand entries will occur at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

This inaugural powwow is a fulfillment of the Memorandum of Agreement between Whitman College and the CTUIR, providing an opportunity for our communities to learn about the peoples who lived in the Walla Walla Valley before European arrival and settlement as well as enhancing cultural presence and support for Whitman’s Native American students. The intention is for the Pášx̣apa Powwow to be an annual event taking place each November at Whitman College.

Colleges and Universities across our listening area and the Northwest have held on-campus powwows in recent years.  A few states away in Missoula, Montana, has been holding the student-run Kyiyo Pow Wow for several years in the basketball arena on the Campus of the University of Montana.