Native American students to bring back UT Austin powwow after roughly 5 years
When Brianelly Flores and Raven Price-Smith started attending UT Austin in fall 2020, the Native American student community didn't really exist.
Native Americans attended the school, of course — contrary to some people's beliefs. Price-Smith said she's experienced classmates expressing surprise that Native Americans are still around.
But the Native individuals across campus hadn't come together to form a community. They didn't have a sense of togetherness or a place to gather. The one group that did exist, called the Native American and Indigenous Collective, had only two or three members.
"Seeing the state of the organization, it was very underwhelming considering how it genuinely felt dead," Flores said.
Flores and Price-Smith decided to take charge as co-presidents of the organization. They made a space centered on "supporting and empowering" Native students, Flores said. Now, the collective has around 20 members and will host a UT Austin powwow for the first time since 2018-19.
The powwow is set to take place April 8 from 12-4 p.m. in front of the iconic UT Tower, a location the collective co-presidents were adamant about having.
"It felt like they were trying to hide us away in an auditorium or in a random building," said Flores, a radio-television-film sophomore. "And I feel like we got this thing that we wanted specifically for the purpose of sending out a message to UT and other people in Austin that we're still surviving. We're still here at UT."
Price-Smith and Flores said they had to basically plan the powwow from scratch since the old hosts have long since graduated. Luckily, the co-presidents had personal experience with powwows and fall 2022 internships with Great Promise for American Indians, which hosts the annual Austin Powwow.
'It's just so beautiful': Austin Powwow celebrates Native American heritage, history
"The internship is a lot more personal and special, like more than business," said Price-Smith, an architectural engineering sophomore. "Instead of just, 'Oh, you need to worry about... vendors and food,' it was more of like, 'Oh, you need to meet these people,' and we went to different powwows and the Austin Powwow with (programs director Nan Blassingame), and she just helped us make connections."
The powwow will have a fry bread booth, raffles, non-contest dance exhibitions and drums — the most important part, according to Price-Smith and Flores.
"We just hope to have a successful first year back," Price-Smith said.
"Here's to many more to come," Flores added.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Native American students to host first UT Austin powwow since 2019
