Northern and Southern Arapaho tribe members will gather for the 'coming back home' pow-wow or "Ce'no'eeckoohuut" beginning at 10 a.m. July 28 on the Norlin Quad at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
"The pow-wow works to strengthen the bond between CU-Boulder and the Arapaho Tribe and promotes an excellent cultural education opportunity for everyone," said Leslee Caballero, co-coordinator for CU-Boulder's American Indian Student Services.
The pow-wow will begin at 10 a.m. with Gourd dancing, an activity geared toward children. At 1 p.m., the Grand Entry begins with a dancing contest. Finally, the pow-wow will conclude with an honor to Sand Creek at 5 p.m.
In 1864, the Sand Creek Massacre, which took place in what is now Kiowa County, Colo., forced the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes to vacate their homelands. President Clinton signed legislation establishing the Sand Creek Massacre Historical Site in 1999.
The Arapaho Tribe's former homelands covered eastern Colorado and portions of Wyoming and Nebraska. In the 1800s, they were split, placing the Northern Arapaho Tribe at the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming and the Southern Arapaho Tribe in Oklahoma on Indian trust lands.
The daylong event, which began running in the summer last year, is sponsored by the Cultural Unity Center and American Indian Advocacy. It is open to the public and free of charge.
For additional information on the event, contact Caballero at (303) 492-5667.