Threading Our Legacies Pow Wow
Saturday, March 21, 2026
Jon M. Huntsman Center
1825 S. Campus Drive
Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Free & Open to the Public · Bag Check at Doors
Our traditional teachings are cast into the night sky. Like stars placed with care by our loved ones, they form constellations that connect knowledge, our relationships, and our existence. When the Sun rises, those teachings become an enduring foundation that guides us forward and calls us to new heights. This year’s Pow Wow theme is “Threading Our Legacies.” Inspired by the cultural teachings and responsibilities carried through our families and ancestors, we invite everyone to the Jon M. Huntsman Center to gather in celebration and to honor the living legacy of our Pow Wow.
Head Staff
Master of Ceremonies: Bart Powaukee
Arena Director: Phillip Manning
Host Drum: Motown Singers
Head Lady Dancer: Kayden Denny
Head Man Dancer: Caleb Lameman
Specials
Head Lady: Hoop Dance Special, Winner Take All
Head Man: Chicken Dance Special 16+
U of U Inter-Tribal Student Association (ITSA): Mother & Daughter Special, 1st - 2nd - 3rd
Agenda
10 a.m. | Doors open
- Bag Check
- Dancer registration opens (closes at 12:30 p.m.)
12 p.m. | Grand Entry
- Tiny Tots
- Contest Singing & Dancing (Golden Age & Juniors)
- Contest Singing & Dancing (Teens)
- Head Lady Special
- Inter-Tribal Student Association Special
4:30 p.m. | Supper Break
6 p.m. | Grand Entry
- Contest Singing & Dancing (Adult Categories)
- Head Man Special
- Committee Honor Song
9:30 p.m. | Announce Winners
10 p.m. | Venue Closes
Dance Categories
Jr. Boys
- Fancy, Traditional, Grass
Teen Boys
- Fancy, Traditional, Grass
Men's
- Fancy, Traditional, Grass
Golden Age Men
- Combined
Jr. Girls
- Fancy, Traditional, Jingle
Teen Girls
- Fancy, Traditional, Jingle
Women's
- Fancy, Traditional, Jingle
Golden Age Women
- Combined
About the Artist
Paula TopSky Houtz
Shoshone-Bannock/Chippewa Cree
Paula TopSky Houtz is a Shoshone-Bannock and Chippewa Cree artist whose work is rooted in lineage, ceremony, and living memory. She studied at the Institute of American Indian Arts, carrying forward a family legacy of artists and crafters who understood making as both responsibility and intention.
Growing up in ceremony, Paula learned early to associate songs, prayers, and teachings with images and felt sense. Color, form, and pattern became a language one that carries emotion and intention beyond words. Her work is guided by both ancestral knowledge and present day intuition, honoring the unseen forces that move through all living things.
Paula approaches art as a dialogue rather than a product. She believes something shared runs through all of us, a voice that recognizes itself when spoken to honestly. Her work invites that recognition, speaking directly to the people rather than at them.
This piece, Threading Our Legacies reflects ancestral ties to the stars and the stories they return to us. These stories shape who we are and reveal themselves in movement, dance, and relationship with Mother Earth. Each bead represents intention and choice made with care, accountability, and hope that every act of creation serves the collective.
Paula’s work is an offering: grounded, intentional, and alive.
Thank You to Our Sponsors & Partners
Disclaimer: The University of Utah and related entities overseeing the 2026 Threading Our Legacies Pow Wow, their staff and volunteers are not responsible for any injuries, travel expenses, thefts, damaged items, accidents or other mishaps sustained while on the premises and/or while attending/participating in the Pow Wow that may happen through negligence by myself or other attendee(s).
Alcohol & Controlled Substance Policy: The University of Utah campus, which the Jon M. Huntsman Center is an entity of, works in alignment with University of Utah Policy. The use, possession, and distribution of alcoholic beverages and or controlled substances on university premises is prohibited and unlawful. University Police enforce state alcohol laws and federal and state drug laws on the University of Utah campus. No alcoholic beverages of any type shall be in possession of or consumed by individuals in any university facility or outdoor areas.
FAQ
General Pow Wow Questions
For any questions not addressed below, please contact powwow@utah.edu.
Pow wows are Native American gatherings where various North American tribes dance, sing, and connect with the community to celebrate their ancestral heritage.
While the Pow Wow is free and open to the public, the organizers encourage attendees to be mindful, respectful and adhere to proper pow wow etiquette.
- Always stand respectfully during special songs. These include the Grand Entry, flag songs, veteran’s songs or any other song the MC designates. During these songs, folks should remove their hats.
- The correct term for a dancer’s outfit is regalia – not costume. Never touch a dancer’s regalia. Many of the objects have religious meaning and are cherished family heirlooms.
- Ask permission before taking photos of dancers in regalia. If the photo is for publication or commercial use, this should be explained before the photo is taken.
- If you see a lost or dropped feather, do NOT pick it up. Notify the nearest staff member (identified by Pow Wow t-shirt) or Arena Director immediately.
- Pointing with the fingers is considered poor manners by some tribes. If you must point, use your head and nod in the direction you wish to indicate.
- Feel free to join in the inter-tribal dances by invitation of the MC.
- Do not ever cross the arena floor! Do not go into drum circles. If a drum group is singing or about to sing, do not approach the drum. Stay on the perimeter of the arena floor.
If you have any questions about any of the above etiquette or would like to know more, please ask a Powwow Committee member. Also, most dancers, singers, elders, and staff are happy to help.
The Pow Wow is free and open to all. The Pow Wow is a remarkable display of Native American cultural heritage and is a learning opportunity for all to know more about Native American traditions.
This is a family friendly event and is open to all ages. Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian while attending the event.
Thank you to our generous sponsors and donors who make this gathering possible. The Pow Wow is free and open to the public and is not a ticketed event.
Yes, bag checks are required for all spectators. If you do not want your bags to be searched, you are welcome to take your bags back to your cars. In addition to bag checks, attendees will go through magnetometers to ensure a safe and fun event.
Singers and dancers will enter from the designated singer/dancer entrance. They will be given instructions at registration on bringing in their regalia and singing instruments. Please look for dancer entry directional signs.
You may park in the Institute Garage and Lot 19, south of the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Vendor Questions
Only vendors who have submitted their application and paid in advance for their booth will be allowed to vend. Walk around sales are not permitted. Please email powwow@utah.edu for more information.
Doors will open at 9:00 a.m. You may arrive early and wait outside of the building until the doors open.
You may unload/drop off on the south side of the building parking lot. Once you unload, please park in the Institute Garage and Lot 19, south of the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
All vendors must start taking down their booth at 9 p.m. All vendors must be out of the building by 10 p.m.
Past Events
2025
Healing Through Songs of the People
At the start of every song, the drum echoes, embracing all who gather within its reach. Each singer carries generations of knowledge, deeply connected to the cultural instruments that shape our traditions. This sacred connection allows us to revitalize, uplift, and strengthen our community. This year’s theme, “Healing Through the Songs of the People,” honors the power of our songs and the drum groups that unite us.
2024
Weaving Communities and Making Connections
Memories and teachings carry us through every space we enter. All experiences are unique strands that guide our journey, ultimately bringing us together. In partnership with the Urban Indian Center of Salt Lake and Salt Lake Community College, the vision was inspired by the ties and interconnection we share across the valley.
2023
Elevating Indigenous Youth
The Pow Wow committee identified the necessity to highlight Indigenous youth as their communities address challenges around the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and those impacted by Indigenous boarding schools. As they navigate their past, present, and future, it is imperative to elevate Indigenous youth as they face and overcome new obstacles.
2022
Grounded by Indigenous Love, Resilience in Kinship
Our Native and Indigenous communities fill us with inspiration. From hospitality to solidarity, the Native and Indigenous Peoples lead by example. For its 50th anniversary, the Pow Wow Committee wished to highlight the communities’ endearing and resilient characteristics when navigating the world today by aligning with the theme “Grounded by Indigenous Love, Resilience in Kinship.
2019
Indigenous Rising: Warriors in Leadership
For Native American women, the election of Davids and Haaland reclaims their ancestral right to leadership in a society that has undermined the power of Indigenous women. The Inter-Tribal Student Association chose to honor these women with “Indigenous Rising: Warriors in Leadership” as a way to highlight the return of women to their place of leadership.
2018
In Honor of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women
Historically for many tribes, women are the heart and backbone of their communities. From colonization to the present, there have been disproportionally higher rates of violence and assault towards indigenous women. Though there is little official collection of data, many families recount stories of missing family members. The 2018 theme focused on creating awareness around the widespread problem facing women in indigenous communities.
2017
Be Legendary, Honoring Our Unity: A Tribute to the Northern Ute Tribe
Despite the low number of American Indian students at the U, the opportunity to receive an education creates the responsibility to legendary and give back to their community. Though this year’s Powwow was dedicated to the Northern Ute Tribe, ITSA also wanted to highlight the unity that Native American tribes have demonstrated during recent events, such as the opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline.
2016
Sustaining Our Culture
The term “powwow” originates from a Narragansett word, pau wau. It became an instrumental platform for passing down knowledge such as language, song, dance and medicine. Today, the powwow at the U is an opportunity for tribal members throughout the Intermountain West and others to meet to honor the cultural and religious practices of the American Indian community. This year’s northern host drum was White Bull and the southern host drum was performed by Southern Style.
2015
Sustaining Our Culture
The Sustaining our Culture Powwow is a time for American Indian/Alaskan Native students, faculty, and staff to come together and promote appropriate representation of their culture on campus. Additionally, the Powwow provides an opportunity for the Inter-Tribal Student Association to engage and connect with the larger American Indian/Alaskan Native community in the Wasatch Front. This year’s northern host drum was North Bear, a celebrated drum group from the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. Grayhawk, a local Utah group performed the southern host drum.