Plans underway for the 2024 Natchez Powwow

Event slated for March 23, 24, at the Bluff

By Roscoe Barnes III
Visit Natchez

A Native American performer greets the Natchez family of Annabelle Wilson, seated, at the 2022 Powwow. Her children, from left, are Adeline, Ty, and Alice. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. – The 2024 Natchez Powwow will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24, at 319 N. Broadway St., on the north end of the Natchez Bluff.
 
The popular event that draws hundreds of people from across the state and other parts of the country will give visitors two days of music, fun, food, crafts, and exciting events related to Native American culture, said Dr. Charles Borum, who chairs the event.
 
“These events are always exciting,” he said. “We have people who come every year and we have many who come for the first time. It’s a wholesome family event and a great opportunity to learn about the Native American culture.”
 
Borum said he has appreciated the music since he was a teenager, and he went to the dances when he lived in Oklahoma. Today, he travels throughout the country to participate in Native American powwows.
 
“I dance at many of the Osage and Ponca dances,” he said. “I love this music. As you learn and come to understand it, you develop a deeper level of appreciation for it.”
 
The Natchez Powwow is an annual event that celebrates the culture of Native Americans. It is popularly known for its dance, music, and the colorful Native American regalia worn by the participants. The event includes traditional food, arts, and crafts.

In 2018, the Natchez Powwow was listed as one of the top 20 events of that year by the Southeast Tourism Society. Borum, who started the Natchez Powwow in 1988, said someone from Natchez would need to travel a far distance to be able to enjoy live Native American music like we have at our Powwow.

 
He said one of the cool highlights last year was the “49 singing” event – an informal social celebration --held after the Powwow at 10 p.m. in the courtyard at Smoot’s at 319 N. Broadway St.
 
“This was a time to relax and to enjoy some fun songs,” Borum said.
 
Another highlight from last year was the game of stickball between high school students and members of the Mississippi Choctaw Nation and Natchez descendants. Borum said everyone enjoyed it. He encourages other athletes to come and participate in the game.
 
As in previous years, Native American crafts will be sold throughout the powwow. Craft and food booths will open at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, according to Borum.
 
In the event of rain, the event will continue in the multi-purpose room at Adam County Christian School at 300 Chinquapin Lane.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Powwow Schedule

 
This year’s program participants will include Chris Bryant of Lynchburg, Va., as master of ceremonies; Darsh Desilva of Round Rock, Texas, as arena director; Chad Tahchawwickah, Comanche, of Cache, Okla., as head singer southern drum; Guy Ray Pocowatchit, Pawnee-Shawnee-Comanche, of Pawhuska, Okla., as head man dancer; Nazhoni Tsosie, Quapaw-Otoe-Navajo of Chelsea, Okla., as head leady dancer; and Kevin Pohawpatchoko, Comanche and retired U.S. Navy of Cache, Okla., as head gourd dancer.
 
Saturday’s schedule
 
9 a.m. -- Food and Craft and Farmer Market Vendors open
11 a.m. -- Traditional Stickball Game
1 p.m. -- Gourd Dance
2 :30 a.m. -- Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
4 p.m. -- Camp Feed for Singers and Dancers and family/friends
6 p.m. -- Gourd Dance
7 p.m. -- Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
9 p.m. – Closing
 
Sunday’s schedule
 
9 a.m. -- Food and Craft Vendors open
1 p.m. -- Gourd Dance
2:30 p.m. -- Grand Entry and Intertribal Dancing
 
Alcoholic beverages will be prohibited in the Powwow area, including those areas occupied by the traders and food vendors. Visitors are asked to bring their own lawn chairs. Benches will be available for the dancers.

Outdoor camping will not be available at the Powwow site on the Bluff, Borum said. However, he noted, camping in tents, campers, and RVs will be available at the River View RV Park at 100 River View Parkway, Vidalia.

For more information, visit https://www.natchezpowwow.com, or send email to Powwow Chairman Dr. Chuck Borum at cborum@hotmail.com. Follow Natchez Powwow on Facebook.