Annual Carolina Indian Circle Powwow to honor life of Native student

Close to 1,800 people are expected at the 26 annual Carolina Indian Circle Powwow on March 23 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The free public celebration, hosted by the Carolina Indian Circle, will open at 11 a.m. at Hooker Fields on South Road. Free parking will be available in the Cobb deck off Manning Drive.  Please note that the Pow Wow has been moved to Fetzer Gym on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill due to inclement weather.

The theme of this year’s powwow is “Keeping The Faith, Through Honoring Our Traditions,”to honor the life of Faith Hedgepeth, a fellow Tar Heel and Carolina Indian Circle Member who died this past September.

“The Carolina Indian Circle Powwow is one of the hallmark events for our campus every year,” said Amy Locklear Hertel, director of the UNC American Indian Center. “It is a time to celebrate Native culture, connect with one another, and bring awareness of Native communities to campus.  Most importantly, it is entirely student run, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of Native students at Carolina.”

Food, craft and jewelry vendors will be on hand. Dancers in traditional regalia will compete for cash prizes in categories such as fancy dance, traditional dance, grass dance and women’s jingle dancing.

For more information, call (919) 843-4189 or email cic_powwow@unc.edu.

Carolina Indian Circle website: http://carolinaindiancircle.web.unc.edu

American Indian Center contact: Randi R. Byrd, (919) 843-4189, rrbyrd@email.unc.edu