The Final Gathering of Nations Starts This Week, Upcoming Pow Wows and more
Published 16 days agoΒ β’Β 9 min read
This is it.
After months of anticipation, the week of Gathering of Nations is finally here, and this year is different.
If you haven't heard the news, this is the last Gathering of Nations. After decades of bringing together the largest powwow in North America, they've made the decision to end it this year.
And I'm still processing that, honestly.
I've been going to Gathering of Nations since 2004. Every single year. I've stood in that arena and felt that electricity when the drums start and thousands of dancers fill the floor. I helped keep the spirit alive during COVID with the virtual events. This powwow has been a constant in my life for over two decades, a place where I've made friends, created memories, and been reminded every single year how amazing our Native artists, singers, and dancers are.
And this time next week, it'll all be over. I don't quite know how I'm going to feel when I get home.
But this week? This week we celebrate. We show up. We soak in every moment of the grand spectacle that is Gathering of Nations one final time.
Before I get into everything in this week's newsletter, don't forget, our Countdown to Gathering of Nations Pendleton Blanket Giveaway is still open! You can enter daily, and during the powwow itself we'll have an instant win game where you can win prizes on the spot and grab bonus codes for extra entries toward that Pendleton.
Iβm also excited to share that this week, in collaboration with the Gathering of Nations Powwow Committee, we have the official Gathering of Nations powwow magazine available for purchase. Download a copy now!
βNorth Americaβs Largest Pow Wowβ April 24 β 25, 2026 Powwow Grounds Expo New Mexico/Tingley Coliseum Albuquerque, NM, U.S.A.
In anticipation to the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow we have a special giveaway a Pendleton Blanket and more! Make sure you enter for your chance to win!
AND a new spin to win game where you can win prizes instantly starts this week!
In 1821, a man who could neither read nor write in any language single-handedly created an entirely new one.
His name was Sequoyah, a Cherokee silversmith who became fascinated by what he called "talking leaves" β the written pages used by European settlers to communicate across distances.
He spent 12 years, largely in isolation, developing a complete written syllabary for the Cherokee language β 86 characters representing every sound in Cherokee speech. His own daughter, Ayoka, was one of the first people he taught to read it.
The Cherokee Nation adopted the system officially in 1825. Within just a few years, thousands of Cherokee people had become literate β at a rate that stunned outside observers. By 1828, the Cherokee were publishing their own bilingual newspaper, the Cherokee Phoenix, making them one of the first Native nations in North America with a free press.
Sequoyah never sought fame or payment for his invention. When the Cherokee National Council awarded him a medal and a small pension, he used the freedom it gave him to travel across the continent, searching for lost Cherokee communities and teaching them to read.
He didn't create a writing system to impress anyone. He created it because his people needed a way to preserve their voice β on their own terms.
The Cherokee Phoenix went on to advocate fiercely for Cherokee sovereignty until the U.S. government forced it to shut down in 1834.
Some voices are worth fighting to keep alive.
Subscribe to This Week In Native History for more facts like this!
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