Powwow for the Planet at UNLV continues to grow in its third year. The collaborative event focuses on a specific tribal sacred place in Nevada every year, promoting environmental stewardship and raising awareness for the protection of public lands. It also brings life and meaning into the university's land acknowledgment just before World Earth Day,

Powwow for the Planet will be held on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20 at UNLV. The event is hosted collaboratively by the UNLV Native American Alumni Club (NAAC), the Native American Student Association (NASA), the American Indian Alliance (AIA), and the urban indigenous community.

Grand Entry opening ceremonies will be held at 4 p.m. on April 19 and at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on April 20 on the Chem Lawn of UNLV’s main campus. The annual event is open to the public and will include authentic Native American arts and craft vendors, cultural dances, and music, as well as educational activities. Registration is not required. 

“Powwows bring us together to honor and preserve our culture,” says Tammi Tiger, a founding and current board member of NAAC. Tiger also serves as director of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Tribal Education Initiative in the UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality. “Powwow for the Planet provides leadership opportunities for native youth and lends support to Nevada tribes by advocating for the protection of sacred places.”

About Powwow for the Planet

The first powwow held at UNLV was organized by NASA for Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2018. Powwow for the Planet was created in 2022 to help build support for Avi Kwa Ame, a sacred tribal place for the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe that is now Nevada’s fourth national monument. Gold Butte, a sacred site for the Southern Paiute, also achieved national monument status in 2016.

Nevada's tribal leaders have stewarded these lands for generations, leading protection efforts, Tiger says. “Monument campaigns take years and years,” she says. “For youth to see the realization of these efforts in the time they are involved is powerful.”

Intertribal powwows have taken place across America throughout the 20th Century, serving as social and cultural exchanges that help preserve cultural arts and practices. This year, UNLV’s youth-led powwow will also raise awareness for a more sustainable and environmentally just world, advocating for the protection of more sacred tribal places.

Speakers include tribal representatives from the Southern Paiute and Western Shoshone people regarding the protection of the Bahsahwahbee, also known as the Swamp Cedar trees, the Ruby Mountains, and the East Las Vegas Monument — home to the Gypsum Cave.

UNLV acknowledges and honors the Indigenous communities of this region, and recognizes that the university is situated on the traditional homelands of the Nuwu (noo·woo), Southern Paiute (pai·oot) People. Nevada is home to 28 Tribal Nations, bands, councils, and more than 60,000 urban Native Americans with a statewide population of more than 100,000, according to 2020 U.S. Census data.  

Powwow for the Planet will provide a unique opportunity to celebrate native culture and to share UNLV’s campus as a space for learning about the indigenous peoples who continue to live and work on this land since time immemorial. Since 2022, the event has attracted support and participation from the surrounding communities, drawing attendees from across the nation and doubling attendance in 2023 to grow into what is now a two-day event. 

The UNLV Alumni Association (UNLVAA) is the driving force behind a strong relationship between UNLV and its nearly 150,000 alumni worldwide. Through the association, NAAC promotes an academic and social environment at UNLV that attracts, welcomes, and retains Native American students, faculty, and staff by recognizing the value of Native American people and their cultures. NASA serves as a social organization dedicated to the preservation of Native culture and educational attainment at UNLV.

Learn more

• Powwow for the Planet event page  
• Sponsorship opportunities 
• 2023 Powwow for the Planet archival photos 
• 2023 Powwow for the Planet Video  

Available for Media Interviews

Shelly Herrera-White

shwhite03@gmail.com
Native American Alumni Club Board member and a Powwow for the Planet organizer. Shelly is a graduate of UNLV’s School of Health with a degree in Health Education in 1995.  

Richard Savage

savagrd@nv.ccsd.net, 702-799-8515
President of the Native American Alumni Club and Coordinator for Indian Education Opportunities Program in the Engagement Unit at Clark County School District. Richard is a  2014 UNLV Sociology graduate.

Tammi Tiger

tammi.tiger@unlv.edu, (702) 895-3334
Founding member of the Native American Alumni Club, current Board member, and Director of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians Tribal Education Initiative in the UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality (see bio online here). 

About UNLV

UNLV is a doctoral degree-granting institution of more than 30,000 students and nearly 4,000 faculty and staff that has earned the nation’s highest recognition for both research and community engagement from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. UNLV offers a broad range of respected academic programs and is committed to recruiting and retaining top students and faculty, educating the region's diverse population and workforce, driving economic activity, and delivering high-quality healthcare to Southern Nevadans. Learn more at unlv.edu.