Annual Laney College Pow Wow coincides with hard-fought win for Native activists

The American Indian Child Resource Center hosted the 17th annual Pow Wow in the Laney College gymnasium on Dec. 3–4, honoring American Indian social workers for protecting family integrity.
The event featured contest dancing, Native food, a holiday Santa Claus giveaway, and authentic American Indian arts and crafts. There were also Saturday evening performances by Tanaya Winder and Frank Waln.
A Pow Wow in an event where Native Americans come together to sing, dance, honor their cultures and socialize. 
Spectators were treated to many new cultural experiences. Drumming and dancing echoed through the gym. The dancers, arrayed in brightly colored feathers and native regalia moved gracefully.

Many people were also delighted to try American Indian cuisine. For some people it was a new experience, but for others it is a chance to have foods they rarely get to enjoy.
The event coincided with a tentative victory for Native activism and values after the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers refused to issue a permit to let the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline continue on its course under the Missouri River in Standing Rock, ND.
Activists had been fighting a long battle against the pipeline in a larger continued struggle for sovereignty in their homeland.