Kyiyo Powwow Volunteer Experience

48th Annual Kyiyo Powwow Flyer

In the Spring of 2016, I volunteered at the 48^th annual Kyiyo Powwow. I had been wanting to attend the powwow my previous three years at the University, but for some reason or another, I never got around to it. When I found out that they were seeking volunteers, I knew that it would be the perfect opportunity for me to experience such an important event for a collection of cultures that I have always lived near, but never knew much about.

My responsibilities as a volunteer were to work security for the event, so I was stationed by an entrance, and was mostly there to keep participants and guests safe during my time as a volunteer. While I was there, I got to see many different outfits and styles that I am not used to, and I had to instruct myself to remember that this was a cultural experience and not a costume party.  I had a moment of realization that I truly knew very little about Native American customs. This was an important experience for me because I got to experience being the racial/ethnic minority, which is something I do not often experience.  It made me feel like an outsider, and I had to work to recognize that the customs and ceremonies happening at the powwow were not for my entertainment, but were part of an important cultural heritage that I was being allowed to take part in.

This experience is important for me as a future teacher because it allowed me to step into a world that I have not grown up in. There are so many aspects of Native American cultures that I know nothing about, and even though I will never be able to know all of them, it is important for me to remember that these customs are not a commodity for white people to witness. When I have my own classroom, there will likely be Native American students in it, and I think that volunteering at the powwow will inform my future teaching as I not only have an experience stepping into that world, but I also have a better understanding of what it means to be a minority and an outsider in a situation, which will help me to be a better teacher for students who have grown up with different experiences than I have. I hope that this experience will help me to be more understanding to cultures that are different than my own, and that this will make me a better teacher.