Indian arts, crafts, food and dance take the stage at the 2016 Stewart Father’s Day Powwow in Carson City next weekend. Hosted in partnership with the Nevada Indian Commission and the Stewart Indian School Alumni, the annual powwow includes quality Native American fun and is also a time for alumni, former employees, families and friends to gather at the former campus.
Stewart Indian School served as an off-reservation boarding facility from 1890 through 1980, and its stone buildings are icons of education and life for many American Indians in the West. After the school closed, the buildings were vacated and many became home to state offices. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and comprised of 83 buildings, the site is now a cultural center. The Nevada Indian Commission continues to work to preserve sites on campus and tell their stories.
More than 200 dancers will participate, along with more than 30 vendors. “New this year, we will have gourd dancing before each grand entry on Saturday and Sunday,” said Sherry Rupert, executive director of the commission. “Also, donations of time and effort by local businesses have made it possible for a car giveaway to a family in need.”
Powwow proceedings begin with the grand entry at 7 p.m. Friday. Saturday’s ceremonies are at 1 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. Sunday’s activities are from noon to 4 p.m. All are invited and welcome to attend the free family event. The powwow is funded, in part, by a grant from the Nevada Commission on Tourism, the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. For information, call Sherry Rupert or Chris Gibbons at (775) 687-8333 or email cgibbons@nic.nv.gov or visit nic.nv.gov for information.
The Stewart Indian School Trail is a self-guided walking tour of the campus with 20 points of interest and audio stories. Using personal cell phones, visitors can access recorded messages from alumni and employees about their personal experiences at the school. The goal of the “Talking Trail” is to preserve the history and memorabilia of the school, which provided education and vocational skills to American Indian youth who represented more than 200 tribes across the nation.
