Save the Date!

The Wambli Sapa Memorial Powwow will once again be held on UNO’s campus for a celebration of the traditions, heritage, and culture of area Native American tribes. The powwow will be celebrated on Saturday, April 27 from 1 P.M. to 7 P.M. at UNO’s Sapp Fieldhouse. Admission is free and open to the general public.  

Nearly 2,000 visitors are expected to come and go throughout the day. Representatives from area tribes, including the Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha) Tribe of Nebraska, the Ponca Tribe, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, and Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska are expected to attend. The event is hosted by UNO Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion (SLII)  and the Intertribal Student Council.   

This Year's Powwow

 Under the theme “Nurture the Nature,” the event will feature a traditional grand entry, a welcome message by UNO Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA, and remarks shared by Fred Leroy's daughter, Rhonda Free, and cultural dance contests. Drum groups including Omaha Rough Riders, Maza-Kute, Big Soldier Creek, and Southern Elite  will perform. Men’s dance categories include grass, northern traditional, and fancy. Women’s dance categories include northern traditional, fancy, jingle, and cloth/appliqué.  

Ross Ike will serve as Head Man for the Powwow, which comes with the responsibility of getting people dancing, celebrating, and socializing.  

Actor Gary Farmer, who stars in the acclaimed FX television series Reservation Dogs, will serve as emcee for the event. Eduardo Zendejas, J.D., a lecturer in public administration at UNO who has served as a longtime mentor for the Intertribal Student Council, will co-host.   

The event will feature 25-30 community vendors, more than 100 dancers, raffles, food trucks, and concessions. Volunteers from the UNO campus and the community make this event possible alongside students, faculty, and staff of UNO’s Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion and the Intertribal Student Group. 

Honoring the Legacy of Fred Leroy | Wambli Sapa (Black Eagle)

This annual event honors the legacy of Fred LeRoy, who, through persistence and determination, worked to have the Northern Ponca reinstated as a federally recognized tribe in the late 1980s. Through LeRoy’s efforts, then-president George H.W. Bush signed the Ponca Restoration Act to establish the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska in 1990. 

Questions and Additional Information

Please contact Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion at slii@unomaha.edu for assistance.