The City of Flagstaff announced on Mar. 11 that it will host the “Community Social Powwow: Abalone Shell Mountain Kinship Gathering” on Sunday, April 19 at the Flagstaff High School Gym, located at 400 W. Elm Ave in Flagstaff, Arizona. The event is free and open to the public.
The Community Social Powwow aims to bring together community members for cultural celebration and education. It is being held in collaboration with the Flagstaff High School Contest Powwow, which takes place on April 17 and 18 at the same location.
According to city officials, the event will begin with an educational session from 9:30 to 11 a.m., followed by a Gourd Dance from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and then a Social Powwow from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Special dance sponsorships will offer cash and other prizes, and arts and craft vendors will be present throughout all three days of events. Partners for this gathering include Flagstaff High School, the City of Flagstaff Indigenous Commission, and Native Americans for Community Action (NACA).
The City of Flagstaff operates with an elected mayor and council members who establish policy and provide guidance according to the official website. The city delivers community services through its departments while encouraging public involvement via boards, commissions, and elections according to the official website.
Flagstaff has also been recognized as the world’s first International Dark Sky City since receiving this designation in 2001 according to the official website. The city adopted zoning codes in 1989 that limit outdoor lighting per acre according to the official website, following an earlier ordinance enacted in 1958 aimed at managing outdoor lighting issues according to the official website.
For questions about the Community Social Powwow, residents are encouraged to contact Rose Toehe, Indigenous Affairs Administrator for the City of Flagstaff. For information regarding the Contest Powwow, Darrell Marks can be reached at dmarks@fusd1.org.