#BraveNation Powwow and Gathering to be held March 18 at UNC Pembroke

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News

The inaugural #BraveNation Powwow and Gathering (BNPG) will be held Saturday, March 18 in the gym of the English E. Jones Athletic Center at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. 

Everyone is invited to join the #BraveNation as we celebrate the rich history and culture of America’s Indigenous peoples. The powwow and gathering features competition dancing, an alumni reception, and recruitment activities for American Indian high school students. 

This is an alcohol and drug-free event. 

Grand entry is at 12 p.m. Doors open to the public at 10 a.m. A dinner break and the alumni reception will begin at 4 p.m. Dancing resumes at 5 p.m. 

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for elders (60+), and free for children (6 and under) and UNCP students with a UNCP ID. Advance tickets can be purchased for $4 from the Givens Performing Arts Center Box Office (910.521.6361), Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

To receive $1 off the regular admission price, bring three non-perishable items to the powwow. Dancer registration is $5 per contest, while drum registration is $25. Vendor registration is $50, with the vendor registration form available at www.uncp.edu/powwow. A commemorative T-shirt is available for $15. 

The dance categories and prize amounts are:

  • Drum Contest: 1st: $500, 2nd: $350, and 3rd: $175
  • Adult (18+): 1st: $150, 2nd: $75, and 3rd: $50 (men’s traditional, women’s traditional, men’s fancy, women’s fancy, men’s chicken and grass, and women’s jingle).
  • Teen (13-17): 1st: $100, 2nd: $50, and 3rd: $25 (men’s traditional, women’s traditional, men’s fancy, women’s fancy, men’s chicken and grass, and women’s jingle).
  • Junior (6-12): 1st: $75, 2nd: $35, and 3rd: $15 (boy’s traditional, girl’s traditional, boy’s fancy, and girl’s fancy).
  • Tiny Tot (5 and under): $5 each
  • Alumni Special: 1st: $250 (men and women)
  • Women’s Hand Drum Special: 1st: $100, 2nd: $75, and 3rd: $50

Head staff are:

  • MC: J.D. Moore `93
  • Arena Director: Jamie Locklear `02
  • Host Drums: Southern Sun and War Paint
  • Head Dancers: Male - Christopher Richardson `03 and Female - Mardella Sunshine Costanzo `10
  • Head Judges: Drum - Chris Conner `05, `07, Dance - Derek Oxendine, and Tabulator -  Becky Goins `96, `14

Sponsors include: PNC Bank; Center for Student Success; Southeast American Indian Studies Program; Office of Student Involvement and Leadership; Office for Community and Civic Engagement; Office for Alumni Relations; Office of Advancement; Office of Student Affairs; Lindsay-Campbell Oil Company; Mardella Sunshine Costanzo `03; Locklear, Jacobs, Hunt, and Brooks; Chad `02 and April W. Locklear Family; Kevin `15 and LeAnn S. `14 Melvin; Lawrence T. `05,`12 and Natasha B. Locklear; Nu Alpha Chapter of Phi Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc.; and, Beta Pi Chapter of Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, Inc. For a complete list of sponsors, please visit our website.

For more information, please visit www.uncp.edu/powwow, email powwow@uncp.edu, or call 910.775.4579.

UNC Pembroke is a constituent institution of the University of North Carolina system. For more information, contact Mark Locklear, Public Communications Specialist with University Communications and Marketing, via email (mark.locklear@uncp.edu) or by phone (910.521.6351). Connect with UNC Pembroke on social media or online at uncp.edu to learn how the university is changing lives through education.