About

Powwow, as practiced today, is a social gathering intended to provide the campus and local community a space to learn about, engage with, and celebrate the traditions and cultures of Indigenous peoples, and bring visibility to the vibrancy of Native American music, dance, and arts. Held in 1969, the first UC Davis Powwow was hosted in conjunction with the creation of the Native American Studies Department and has since been the culminating event for the Native American Culture Days events and programs. The UC Davis Powwow is student-run and student-planned, standing as one of the longest running student powwows in California. 

Those who serve on the UC Davis Powwow Committee are able to maintain their roots and build a stronger connection to their Indigenous identities, while navigating a Western educational institution. The annual event has gained national recognition for hosting vendors, dancers, judges, head staff, drum groups, and attendees from both California and all throughout Indian Country. The UC Davis Powwow also benefits the campus community by promoting cross-cultural communication and alliances and supporting both the recruitment and retention of Native American students at UC Davis. Altogether, everything put into preparing and holding the annual UC Davis Powwow affords the opportunity for the campus and local Native community to build connections to address the social, cultural, historical and political issues facing Indigenous people today.

Parking Information

We are so excited to see you! For those of you traveling in, the closest parking lots to the UC Davis Quad are UCD Parking Lot 10, the Quad Parking Structure, and Parking Lots 5 and 5A. 

UCD Parking Lot 5 Google Maps Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/Z5nZ936fqhN4f2Bd6

UCD Parking Lot 5A Google Maps Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/M31pqTgRewXZTerw9 

UCD Quad Parking Structure Google Maps Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/sDCziUatztyDZnj58 

UCD Parking Lot 10 Google Maps Directions: https://goo.gl/maps/Nnc8nc4XqPVwjVAV8 

Questions?

Please feel free to contact us at ucdpowwow1@gmail.com.