Competitive singing and dancing for prize money is a fairly recent change in the traditional Pow-Wow celebration. However, blessing ceremonies, honoring ceremonies and ceremonies for dropped eagle feathers remain today. Most religious ceremonies are no longer a central part of the Pow-Wow and often are conducted in the privacy of a family gathering. Pow-Wows today are still very much apart of the lives of modern Indian people. The Pow-Wow brings the circle of the people closer together to their community and their culture. At a Pow-Wow, the dancers are in the center of the circle and the audience forms a larger circle around them.

The circle is an important symbol to Indian cultures. Some trace the word 'Pow-Wow' to the Algonquin language and say that the Europeans adopted it to refer to a council or meeting. The celebration was also a prayer to the one called Wakan Tanka - the Great Mystery or Great Spirit in Lakota. The Pow-Wow had religious significance as well it was a time for families to hold naming and honoring ceremonies. It was a time for people to get together, sing, dance, renew old friendships and make new ones, and a time for young people to meet and court. What is a Pow-Wow? Originally a Pow-Wow or 'celebration' as it was once called, was held in the spring to welcome the beginnings of life.

This years event will be September 9, 10 & 11th 2022 we invite you to come enjoy yourself at the 33rd Sycuan Powwow ! Sycuan features singing and dancing from all over Indian Country, we also provide our very own prideful song and dance known as Bird singing and dancing. Sycuan has been California's premier powwow during the the west coast swing. Located in El Cajon, California the Sycuan Powwow has been going on for over 30 years usually in the second week in September.

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