File photo.
Native American culture is taking over Cal State Long Beach (CSULB) this weekend as the 47th annual Puvungna Pow Wow returns to the university’s upper campus.
Hosted by the American Indian Studies Department, the American Indian Student Council and American Indian Student services, among other university groups, the pow wow is meant to be a celebration of life and an opportunity to share Native American culture with the larger community.
The two-day event will feature traditional food, such as Navajo tacos, fry bread and beef stew, and Native American vendors selling traditional and contemporary Native American art.
Additionally, there will be contests, inter-tribal dancing and gourd dancing. Dancer registration ends at 2:00PM on Saturday, March 11.
CSULB’s pow wow is the largest event of its kind in Southern California, according to university officials.
The Puvungna Pow Wow is named after the ancient village of Puvunga, which is where CSULB now stands. The land was inhabited by the Tongva people, who spanned Long Beach and the Los Angeles area.
In September 2016, CSULB held a ceremony to celebrate the repatriation of Native American remains found on the campus decades earlier.
However, while the pow wow is named after Puvungna, the event is an inter-tribal celebration, with members representing a myriad of tribes including the Lakota, Diné, Cheyenne, Kickapoo, Taos Pueblo, Santa Clara Pueblo and, of course, Tongva.
The pow wow runs Saturday, March 11 from 11:00AM – 10:00PM and Sunday, March 12 from 11:00AM – 6:00PM. Admission and parking are free, but the university recommends attendees bring folding chairs.
For more information on the event click here.
CSULB is located at 1250 Bellflower Boulevard.