Indian Health Center to host annual powwow

Indigenous dancers, singers and vendors can be found in Balboa Park this weekend during the annual powwow organized by the San Diego American Indian Health Center.

Powwows are a time for Indigenous people to gather and celebrate their cultures through traditional singing, dances and food. Two years into a pandemic that caused many to be socially distanced from one another, powwow chair Paula Brimm said the community is ready to gather again.

“It’s a showcase for Native American culture and heritage,” said Brimm, who is Oklahoma Choctaw and serves as board chair for the health center. “I think more than ever Native people are really trying to retain their culture and really working on retaining their languages.”

The powwow will take place in the park at the corner of Park Boulevard and Presidents Way from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Each day will start with an opening from traditional Kumeyaay bird singers and dancers at 10 a.m., followed by gourd singing at 11 a.m. and the grand entry of intertribal dancers to the powwow circle at noon. Throughout the weekend, visitors to the park will be able to shop craft booths and taste Native American dishes, including mutton stew and frybread.

The dancers will be led by head woman dancer Margie Anderson, who is Yoeme Apache and Hawaiian, and her Navajo husband, Rob Anderson, will serve as head man. This year’s featured drum groups will be the SharpShooter Singers as the head northern drummer and Hale & Company as the head southern drum.

Participating in powwow dancing not only is beneficial for physical health, Brimm said, but it can also be beneficial for mental health, especially given the social isolation of the pandemic.

“It’s a lot of people getting to see each other — it’s one of the few times they get together. It means so much to the elders, to the kids, to everybody,” Brimm said. “It’s just really hard to put into words how much it means to everyone.”