Lynn Puts the “Wow” in Pow Wow Lynn’s Welcome Back Pow Wow event highlighted Native American culture.
By Taryn Super
Lynn held the Welcome Back Pow Wow event to kickstart the school year, helping students learn about Native American culture and showcasing Lynn’s ongoing dedication to cultural appreciation.
The Welcome Back Pow Wow event helped Lynn students learn more about Native American culture by highlighting indigenous traditions, music and food. At the event, students had the chance to create their own dream catcher, a handmade hoop with a web-like pattern woven within it. Native Americans often make them to prevent nightmares. Students enjoyed Native American cuisine, including Seminole burgers and fried bread tacos while listening to Native American music.
“My favorite part of the event was making the dream catcher because it was authentic and fun to learn something that was not from my culture,” said Nyana Chillous, freshman.
One individual who greatly appreciated Lynn’s Welcome Back Pow Wow is Julian Yescas, a senior at Lynn who is a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. For Yescas, the Welcome Back Pow Wow made him feel represented and joyful that his culture was being introduced to peers.
“Not many institutions highlight the native culture in the way that Lynn University did. It was a great thing to see,” said Yescas. “Native culture is unique because many people have little to no knowledge of it. Knowledge is very important, and if any of my friends come to me with questions, I am more than happy to discuss topics of native culture [with] those who are curious about it.”
Along with being a fun event, the Welcome Back Pow Wow displayed Lynn’s continuous commitment to celebrating all cultures. Lynn students enjoy the university’s numerous, cultural-themed events as they are both educational and help them better understand people within those cultures.
“I think that it is important for Lynn to hold events like the Pow Wow because these events help people become more knowledgeable about other cultures,” said Adam Soulor, a graduate student who oversaw a booth at the Pow Wow. “Especially in modern times, it’s important for people to learn about other people’s culture.”
To find out when the next culturally-themed event is happening at Lynn, visit the Lynn Event App.
Lynn students having fun making their own dream catchers and experiencing Native American culture. Photo/T. Super.
Lily Koch, sophomore, and Natalia Kalmeijer, sophomore gladly receive a Welcome Back Pow Wow t-shirt and a pre-made dream catcher keychain that were available at the event for students who are not that crafty. Photo/T. Super.
Adam Soulor, graduate student, displays a Native American drum that students observed at the Welcome Back Pow Wow event. Photo/T. Super.
Lily Koch, sophomore, Natalia Kalmeijer, sophomore, and Blair Vignes, junior, show off the free t-shirt they received at the
Welcome Back Pow Wow. Photo/T. Super.
