Traditional Powwow Returns to Detroit After 30 Years

DETROIT, Mich. — A traditional powwow will return to downtown Detroit for the first time in 30 years on October 13, 2025, at Hart Plaza. This event marks a significant moment for the city’s Native American community and will take place from noon until 6 p.m.

Organized by four major groups—the North American Indian Association of Detroit, Southeastern Michigan Indians Inc., American Indian Health and Family Services, and the Detroit Indigenous People’s Alliance—the powwow aims to celebrate Native culture and provide a platform for learning and engagement.

“The Native community hasn’t had the opportunity to do something like this for 30 years,” said Travis Schuyler, program director of the NAIA of Detroit. “Some of us are emotional, and some of us feel nostalgic.” When the drums start at noon, dancers in vibrant regalia will fill the plaza for the Grand Entry, with Hawaiian groups adding their own cultural expressions to the celebration.

City Council member Gabriela Santiago-Romero emphasized the importance of the site, stating, “Before Detroit was ‘Detroit’, it was Waawiyaataanong. Detroit is on quite literally the ancestral and contemporary homeland of the Anishinaabe.”

Michigan is home to twelve federally recognized tribes, such as the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa and Bay Mills groups. The Anishinaabe, comprising the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi nations, have lived around the Great Lakes for centuries.

This event is not just a performance, but a chance for the community to come together, honor their ancestors, and share their culture. “This is an opportunity for people who don’t know about Native cultures to engage and disregard negative stereotypes,” Schuyler adds. The event will include local food and craft vendors, enhancing access to indigenous traditions.

The plaza will welcome guests to enjoy the day filled with dance, music, and cultural exchange. Organizers are already looking forward to building on this success in the years to come.