Central Wisconsin Indigenous Peoples’ Day Pow Wow to be held Oct. 8-9 in Wausau

WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) - The 2022 Central Wisconsin Indigenous Peoples’ Day Pow Wow will be held Oct. 8-9 in Wausau.

The event is open to the public. It will be held at East Gate Hall in Marathon Park, located at 801 Garfield Avenue.

Tricia Zunker is the Central Wisconsin Indigenous Peoples’ Day Committee founding director and Ho-Chunk tribal member. She said the event is important for not only Native Americans but also the public to learn about the tribes’ history.

“A lot of people I’ve found really have very limited exposure to Native culture, even in school. There’s kind of a lumping together learning about Native Americans instead of the fact that we have individual tribes here in Wisconsin. We have 11 federally recognized tribes and one that is actively seeking federal recognition. We all have different histories, cultures, and government sovereignty. But we do have some shared history and some shared practices like the Pow Wow, where we can have this beautiful music, we have seven drums confirmed, which is a really a good turnout, said Zunker.

The Pow Wow will give people the chance to learn more about Native American culture. Several tribes will be represented including a tribe from Iowa. The weekend includes Native dance performances, songs, food trucks and vendors.

“We are so thrilled to bring the Indigenous peoples’ Day Pow Wow back it’s to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which is on Monday. It’s free, it’s open to the public. People can expect to see beautiful dancing, beautiful regalia, music and native foods. It’s just really an excellent opportunity to have a Native event here in Marathon County. It’s currently the only event in Marathon County that’s an Indigenous event,” explained organizer Tricia Zunker.

The Pow Wow is open to the public.

Wisconsin is home to 11 federally recognized American Indian nations and tribal communities. The first Indigenous Peoples’ Day Pow Wow in Marathon County was held in 2019.

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