Participants and spectators travelled from several states to Durham to be part of NCSSM’s annual powwow. (photo: Brian Faircloth)
The 33rd annual NCSSM Powwow was a festival of sound, color and culture as spectators and participants from throughout the Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee, and beyond turned out to celebrate our nation’s American Indian culture. For more than four hours in NCSSM-Durham’s Charles R. Eilber Physical Education Center, drums pounded and dancers celebrated with a series of traditional dances that each carried specific meaning to the native cultures from which they sprang.
Kenly McLaurin, an NCSSM-Durham senior from Cape Fear High School just east of Fayetteville, served as the lead female dancer for the powwow. That honor meant Kenly, who hails from the Lumbee Tribe, got to lead all dancers onto the gymnasium floor in the Grand Entry and take a solo turn through the dance area in her Jingle Dress regalia.
Kenly has been participating in powwows since she was eight years old. Dancing at NCSSM, however, holds a special place in her heart.
“It felt truly amazing,” she said. “I ran into so many people that I know and they got to see me dressed out in my regalia and every time, whether it was faculty, staff, or classmates, friends, they always told me how incredibly cool it was. They were all truly excited and asked me so many questions.”
The powwow has been held at NCSSM since 1992 and today is organized through Akwe:kon (“all of us together” in the Mohawk language), a support group for the American Indian students on NCSSM’s campus, and the school’s Office of Admissions. Mattie Gaddy-Parks, NCSSM’s Director of Admissions, plays a key role in the effort each year.
“Hosting the NCSSM Powwow on our Durham campus is deeply meaningful,” Gaddy-Parks said. “It is a powerful experience to welcome back the alumni who pioneered this event alongside current students to celebrate their rich heritage.”
“This event is one of the longest-standing events we have, and we’re just thrilled that we’ve been able to be a partner with the Native American community to do this now for so many years,” added NCSSM’s chancellor, Todd Roberts. “It’s a great way for our school to connect with the rich heritage of this community in North Carolina and just be a part of helping to share that amazing community.”
Kenly will continue to dance in powwows in the years ahead, but the opportunity to dance in front of her classmates at NCSSM will remain a vivid and lasting memory.
“It made my heart happy because it reminded me of why I do all these things,” she said, “and why I acknowledge who I am as a Native American, and why I share the traditions and knowledge of my culture with others.”
