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Indigenous excellence: Gathering of Nations Powwow brings together global Native culture in a three-day event
It’s crunch time for Derek Mathews.
A week before the 2024 iteration of Gathering of Nations Powwow, Mathews and his team have their lists and check it more than twice.
“There’s a lot happening this year,” Mathews says. “It’s been incredible to keep the event as a spotlight of Indigenous culture. It resonates with the world.”
Indigenous excellence: Gathering of Nations Powwow brings together global Native culture in a three-day event
Mathews is the founder of the event – which is marking its 41st year.
The three-day event kicks off with Miss Indian World at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at Kiva Auditorium inside the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The powwow kicks off at 10 a.m. Friday, April 26, at Tingley Coliseum. It will also begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 27.
The grand entrances of dancers will take place at noon both Friday and Saturday. At 7 p.m Friday there will be another grand entry dance and then at 6 p.m. Sunday, the final grand entry dance will take place. This is where all of the Indigenous dancers take to the Tingley Coliseum floor to perform at the same time.
This year, Mathew says, there will be an Aboriginal Cultural Dialog event that is open to the public.
“It’s meant to be an opportunity for discussion and understanding social issues that Indigenous people face,” he says. “There was a delegation from Australia and they initiated this, and we pursued it along with the New Mexico Humanities Councils. They are bringing performers and people to speak on panels for engagement on this discussion.”
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Mathews says Stage 49 has grown over the years.
Stage 49 is the area where Gathering of Nations celebrates musical artists.
Mathews is also proud to see the Indian Traders Market is completely sold out with its vendors.
“We sold out of space before March 1,” he says. “So many people waited until the last minute and we only have so much space.”
Mathews says Gathering of Nations is also working with the New Mexico State Police during the event.
There will be opportunities for parents to tag their tots to ensure safety.
“The State Police have also produced a safety message in English and Navajo,” he says. “It’s just another way to make sure visitors are safe.”
Mathews says at 1 p.m. Saturday, the RedSpirit Women’s Motorcycle Riding Club will ride from the Route 66 Travel Center to the Gathering of Nations for its Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Awareness Ride.
According to RedSpirit, the club stands on the foundation of community, motorcycling, positivity, responsibility, fundraising, mutual support and sisterhood.
The founding principles and values are based on Indigenous principles, but RedSpirit favors no single race or ethnic group and membership is open to every ethnicity.
The foundation of this club is bringing together and unifying women in a larger collective voice and visibility to create opportunities for women to flourish, not just in motorcycling but in the world at large.
Gathering of Nations has also partnered with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for round dances on Sunday.
