Community gathers for 51st anniversary of Mahkato Wacipi Pow Wow Event

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - Indigenous people and non-Native people came out from all over Minnesota to celebrate the 51st anniversary of the Mahkato Wacipi Pow Wow Event.

This event ran from Fri., Sept. 15, to Sun., Sept. 17.

“Well, to me, these are my relatives,” said Daniel Zielske, Mahkato Wacipi Chairman. “In the native tradition, we have a saying called ‘Mitakuye Oyasin,’ which is all our relatives, and it means literally that ‘we are all related’ and so this is a gathering of relatives.”

Grand entries, a special dance line-up in the native culture signifies reminding people of why they came to the event. It is a dance that will be shown at the beginning of each Pow Wow throughout the weekend.

“I feel like it’s important so we can dance for our ancestors,” said Carissa Espinoza, the 2023 Mahkato Wacipi Junior Princess. “[We get to] just show people who haven’t danced before, how it is dancing and just being a good person.”

Community members got to enjoy cultural events, cultural games, and an education tent to display the history behind Indigenous people and the Wacipi Event.

Mahkato Wacipi Arena Director, Londel Seaboy expressed his hopes that the 51st anniversary of the Mahkato Wacipi Pow Wow Event delivers a message that stresses the importance of diversity and inclusiveness.

“[It’s about] education, education and a little bit more in the area of understanding,” said Seaboy. “Understanding that there are many diverse cultures and there are many races and many walks of people and that we can all share within all of our cultures.”

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