Bright colours, lively dancing and beating drums set the tone at the fourth annual Student and Alumni Powwow, co-hosted by St. Clair College and the University of Windsor at the SportsPlex on May 3, 2025.

It was a magnificent celebration of Indigenous heritage, put on through a collaboration between the Aboriginal Education Centre at the University of Windsor and St. Clair College’s Indigenous Student Services.

The event attracted an impressive crowd, with more than 500 people in attendance for the Grand Entry and an estimated 800 guests throughout the day.

The St. Clair College Sportsplex came alive with the rhythmic drums and captivating voices of the Charging Horse, Little Creek and Eagleflight Singers as participants were treated to an array of traditional dances and regalia adorned with intricate feathers, beads, and ribbons. The air was filled with the scent of burning sweet grass, creating an atmosphere of reverence and celebration.

The Grand Entry was a spectacular sight, with an impressive procession of 90 dancers, flag carriers, and veterans followed by dignitaries from both St. Clair College and the University of Windsor. The day was filled with traditional music and a display of various powwow dance styles, alongside a marketplace of exceptional Indigenous arts and crafts and traditional food vendors. The day concluded with a traditional evening feast featuring three sisters soup, corn soup, frybread, and strawberry drink.

“During this recent era of greatly intensified pride in all things Canadian, it is surely appropriate that our collective spirit of unity through reconciliation and awareness is coupled with an informed appreciation and an enthusiastic celebration of the beliefs and cultural practices of Canada’s founding nations,” said St. Clair College President, Michael Silvaggi. “This powwow encourages us to do precisely that.”

Since 2022, St. Clair College and the University of Windsor has partnered with Indigenous Nations, community agencies and local school boards with the goal of combining resources to host a world-class powwow for the Windsor community.

Jordan Willian White Eye, the arena director for the day’s events, called it a celebration of life.

“And at one time, these were banned. At one time, these were taken from us. And it’s so important to us today to gather and celebrate in the country that we live in today,” Williams said. “It’s about forgiveness and moving on and doing our best, but it’s still very hard to do what we need to do. I’ve shown our future generations our true identity of who we are as Indigenous people.”

Williams said the event was open to all people – whether Indigenous or not – to help create a community of acceptance and unity.

“A lot of the non-native participants are here, and supporters will come here. They’ll see our craftsmanship. They’ll see the way we cook our food. They’ll see our dances and what we’re demonstrating and how we are expressing our way to the Creator,” Williams said, emphasizing the importance of engaging the Indigenous youth – who he calls ‘our tiny tots.’

“Because their parents never had this at one time, they weren’t able to do this. And now at a very early age, we show our tiny tots – our future generations – that we’re getting stronger, we’re getting better, and these things will never be banned, and they will never be taken from us ever again,” said Williams.

A Powwow Working Circle was created to ensure that the event always reflects the traditions of the greater-Windsor Indigenous community and to ensure that powwow protocols and etiquette are followed.

The Working Circle includes representatives from Caldwell First Nation, Can-Am Indian Friendship Centre, Ska:Na Family Learning Centre, Can-Am Urban Native Homes, Aboriginal Child Resource Centre, Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre, Legal Assistance of Windsor, Hotel Dieu Grace Healthcare, local school boards and Windsor Police.

Mary Capton, of the six nations of the Grand River attends many such powwows across the province and said it’s an exciting time to share their traditions and culture with non-Indigenous people.

“For those of them who are non-Indigenous who are attending, we absolutely love it. We love to share our culture, to let you know what’s the difference between appropriation versus appreciation,” Capton said. “Coming here is appreciation, sharing and supporting the Indigenous vendors is appreciation.”

For more information on future events and cultural initiatives, please contact the St. Clair College’s Indigenous Student Services or the University of Windsor Aboriginal Education Centre or PowWowWindsor.ca.