Community Rising!

We arrived around Noon on Saturday May 10th, 2025 to the Stanford University Pow Wow. It is always held on the Stanford University campus in the Eucalyptus Grove. We were welcomed by the sound of the Host Southern Drum “The Cozad Singers” singing Gourd Dance songs. The sun was shining, and to our surprise there was green grass in the Pow Wow arena! The Stanford University 2024/ 2025 Pow Wow Committee must have worked hard to achieve getting green grass in that arena. Many of us in the community were very grateful to see that addition to the Pow Wow grounds.

Mom and I found a spot to put up our canopy and we took our seats, and began to soak in all of the beauty of the Pow Wow. Turns out without knowing we placed our canopy right behind our relatives Dorren and Elwood! When they returned to their seats and we all saw each other it was very heart warming. It was as if we were all right where we were supposed to be. The Stanford Pow Wow has brought our Native American Indigenous community together for years. In Severt Young Bear and R.D. Theisz’s book “Standing in the Light. A Lakota Way of Seeing” it states “Music is at the center of Lakota life”. Music is also at the center of the Pow Wow. Hearing the traditional songs, and seeing the traditional dancing is very healing. I’d like to thank all the drummers, singers, and dancers for being there.

This years Pow Wow staff did a great job. A big thank you to:

Head Woman Dancer Star Silas

Head Man Dancer Dakota Madera

Northern MC Howie Thomson

Southern MC Kenneth Cozad

Head Judge Leah McGurk Brown

Arena Director Wayne Silas

Host Northern Drum Black Otter

Host Southern Drum The Cozad Sings

Sound Dave Begay

Red Elk – guest drum

Enemy Heart – guest drum

The 2024/ 2025 Stanford Pow Wow Committee hosted a Hat and Boot Special! It was lucky to be able to record some of it. Thank you to all the dancers for dancing. You all lifted our spirits. In one of the songs for the three finalists in the Hat and Boot Special they played “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton, and A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Sha boozey. II had never seen them play a modern song in the Pow Wow are and I loved it! I want to learn how to two step like that! Here are a few of the videos that I recorded. Thank you to 2024/2025 Stanford University Pow Wow Committe, and thank you to all of the dancers, and singers:

Stanford Pow Wow 2025 Hat and Boot Special

Stanford Pow Wow 2025 – Hat and Boot Special Song #3

It is always good to celebrate Mother’s Day at Stanford Pow Wow, and we are grateful that we were blessed to be able to all be together again. We continue to pray for World Peace, for Peace in our Communities, and Peace in our homes.

Stanford Pow Wow 2025 – Mothers and Daughters Special

After the Pow Wow I read on the KTVU news that a family from the Navajo Nation that was in route to the Stanford University Pow Wow had their trailer broken into, and thousands of dollars of their jewelry they were bringing to the Pow Wow was stolen. I pray that somehow their jewelry is returned to them. The link to the article is here: Native American family struggling to rebuild after jewelry theft in San Jose | KTVU FOX 2 If you’d like you can donate to their gofund me. I hope that they know that our community is very sad that this happened to them, and we will keep them in our prayers.

To our beautiful Native American Indigenous Community. It was good to be with you all once again. See you all on the Pow Wow trail.

All My Relations~

Sabah Williams

Community Journalist