The Lawrence High School Intertribal Club Powwow on Saturday gave young dancers a place to express themselves and provided attendees a space for fellowship following recent ICE detentions in town.

The powwow featured intertribal dances from traditional and fancy dancers to grass dancers, southern buckskin dancers and more. 

Regalia and homemade food, such as Navajo burgers with freshly made frybread, were for sale by local vendors throughout the powwow. 

In addition, multiple giveaways were handed out by the leading staff, and special dances such as the potato dance and sweetheart dance were sprinkled throughout the event.

The powwow began with a gourd dance led by Evan LaCour, Kickapoo, who learned to perform gourd dances with his father, who was Kiowa.

LaCour, a graduate student in geography and atmospheric science and teacher’s assistant at the University of Kansas, said it was his second time leading a gourd dance, and these events are important to him.

LaCour said these events have importance beyond performance.

“It’s really important to practice cultural identity as Native Americans,” LaCour said. “Practicing this traditional stuff helps mentally.”

A free supper was available before emcee Manny King initiated the Grand Entry with the opening prayer, in which King offered prayers to those detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The powwow followed the detention of five Lawrence community members on Tuesday.

“We have to set an example for these young ones that we’re here to celebrate but we also keep in prayer those that are affected,” King said in an interview. “It’s sad that these families were separated.”

However, King said that another main focus of the powwow was to highlight young people and give them an outlet for self-expression.

This includes Head Lady Taelyn Redboy, who is a senior at Free State High School and a fancy shawl and jingle dress dancer. 

Though she said it is a fun role, being a head lady is a multigenerational experience for Redboy.

“I just wanted to give back to the circle,” Redboy said. “It’s my turn to take on this role because all my grandmas, aunties and my mom were all head ladies at one point in their life.”

Jaida Whitecloud, Otoe, Ojibwe, Cheyenne, Arapaho, is a 24-year-old southern buckskin dancer. Whitecloud said that even though Buckskin dancing is more strict in terms of its rules, she encourages others who are interested to take up learning the dance.

“There’s a lot of grace and poise to it that I hold dear to my heart,” Whitecloud said. “I get to express myself fully when I’m out here because it is what I love to do.”

Dania Wahwasuck, Prairie Band Potawatomie, is a frequent dancer at both Haskell and Lawrence powwows.

Wahwasuck was named Miss Indian World in April at the Gathering of Nations powwow in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As Miss Indian World, she travels around the country speaking to many Native communities. She said that a piece of the solution to current and serious issues facing Native communities is education and advocacy. “Education is a powerful tool that we can use to uplift our communities, and also combat those difficult issues,” Wahwasuck said.

King said that even when Native communities are facing new problems, powwows need to remain a space for positivity and camaraderie.

Logan Pierson (he/him), reporting intern with The Lawrence Times since December 2025, is a senior journalism and photography student at the University of Kansas. He previously contributed to the University Daily Kansan as a senior reporter and beat reporter.

Read his work for the Times here.

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