The University of Utah will host its annual Pow Wow on March 21 at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, bringing together tribal members, students and community members from across the Intermountain West for a celebration of culture and heritage.

The Pow Wow serves as a gathering place for tribal members from across the region to honor the cultural and spiritual practices of their tribes. Through dance, music, regalia and shared traditions, participants celebrate Native identity while strengthening connections between tribes, students and the broader public. The event also provides an opportunity for Native students at the U to share their cultures and create a space of belonging on campus.

“The University of Utah Pow Wow is a powerful reminder that our cultures, teachings and relationships are living and enduring,” said Samantha Eldridge, director of the Center for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement, which is celebrating its 30^th year on campus. “This year’s theme, ‘Threading Our Legacies,’ speaks to the ways our ancestors’ teachings guide us and connect our past, present and future. We are honored to welcome tribal members from across the Intermountain West to Pow Wow to honor their cultural and spiritual practices as a living legacy of our heritage.”

The theme, “Threading Our Legacies,” reflects the cultural teachings and responsibilities passed down through families and ancestors while drawing on the idea that traditional knowledge is like constellations in the night sky—carefully placed by loved ones and connected through generations. When the sun rises, those teachings become a foundation that guides communities forward and calls future generations to carry them to new heights.

A highlight of this year’s Pow Wow is artist Paula TopSky Houtz, a member of the Shoshone-Bannock/Chippewa Cree tribe. Her beadwork piece is also the theme of the Pow Wow, Threading Our Legacies, and reflects ancestral ties to the stars and the stories that reveal themselves in movement, dance and relationship with Mother Earth. Each bead represents intention and choice made with care, accountability and hope that every act of creation serves the collective.

TopSky Houtz approaches art as a dialogue and believes that her art speaks directly to people rather than at them. Carrying forward a family legacy of artists and crafters, and a life spent associating songs, prayers and teachings with images, her work is guided by both ancestral knowledge and present-day intuition, honoring the unseen forces that move through all living things. Trained at the Institute of American Indian Arts, color, form and pattern have become the language she uses to convey emotion and intention beyond words. Her artwork will be displayed as part of the Pow Wow celebration and is featured in this year’s logo, serving as a visual expression of the event’s theme.

The annual Pow Wow is an important tradition on campus that welcomes Native and non-Native attendees to experience and celebrate Indigenous cultures. The event is planned through a partnership between the Center for Native Excellence and Tribal Engagement, Student Affairs and the University of Utah Inter-Tribal Student Association and reflects the U’s commitment to honoring Native communities and supporting Native student leadership.

By gathering in community, participants honor the enduring legacy of Native traditions while strengthening the relationships that carry those teachings forward. For those who would like to learn more about the Pow Wow, visit the FAQ section.