By Sean Hancock
Last Saturday, the 2025 Brave Nation Powwow took place at Jones Athletic Center at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. This annual event is a celebration of Lumbee culture and Native American culture. The powwow’s goal is to bring the community together and embrace the historical traditions of the Lumbee tribe.
The main attraction of the pow-wow was the drum contest and several dance contests. These were held in the main gym at the Jones Athletic Center. In the auxiliary gym, various vendors set up shop selling traditional Native American blankets, woodwork, clothing, and more. Outside the gym, there were food trucks for attendees to eat from.
“The powwow is really important for Native American people and non-native alike because it just expands our culture and knowledge for each other and helps us dive into our community and brings everybody together,” the assistant master of ceremonies, Asa Locklear said.
The event started with honoring all the veterans in attendance. After that, the first drum contest happened, which consisted of different drum circles taking turns banging their drums and singing. The drum contest filled the entire gym with beautiful Native American music.
The dancers in the powwow ranged from all ages, and they wore feathers and bright colors. Dancers from all around came to show their dance choreography.
“You know it brings people from all the way from Virginia, North Carolina border, from out west and towards Kentucky. So it brings a lot of people, especially alumni, back to UNCP who are Native American, and it just brings everyone together, and we get to fellowship and harmonize with each other and celebrate our culture.” the assistant master of ceremonies, Asa Locklear, said.
The powwow was also a great event for non-native people as well. It’s an opportunity for people outside the community to come in and see all the rich traditions and customs a powwow has to offer. The event was very welcoming and inviting to everyone. The dances were energetic, and the choreography was very seamless.
“Yeah man, so our culture is very sacred, but it’s not sacred to a point where we won’t allow people from other races to come in and experience our culture,” Asa Locklear said.
The powwow was filled with good vibes and great fellowship. It was also a great experience for the little ones. I asked Asa about the importance of Native American children experiencing the pow-wow, he said
“Yeah man, it is super important for Native kids to be a part of the powwow. It’s an opportunity for them to see firsthand the culture that they come from and feel like they are a part of something bigger.”
So, if you are not familiar with Native American or powwow culture, I highly recommend going for yourself. You will see the beautiful Lumbee tribe community and participate in a welcoming and inviting gathering.
For more information on upcoming events, call 910-755-46663 or follow UNC Pembroke American Indian Heritage Center on Facebook or Instagram.
