'All you feel is love': GVSU hosts 25th annual ‘All Walks of Life’ Pow Wow

BY Sarah Dudinetz
Image credit - Cory Morse

Apr 4, 2026

Grand Valley’s 25th annual ‘All Walks of Life’ Pow Wow took place on April 4 in the Fieldhouse Arena.

Ayebah Wilson, who recently joined the Office of Multicultural Affairs as an assistant director, has attended Pow Wows throughout her life, but this was her first as a member of the GVSU community.

“Pow Wows really are an open, safe space for communities that, historically, have not always had the option to practice these traditions,” she explained. “It’s also a chance to open it up for people who are not from or associated with tribal communities to come and be a part of a Pow Wow.”

A Pow Wow is a community gathering and celebration of Indigenous culture through song, dance, feasting and socializing. Traditional Pow Wows include invited elders, veterans and other honored guests to don their regalia, perform and participate in the celebration.

Dances performed throughout the event include a Grand Entry, Veterans Dance, Intertribal Dance and other traditional dances. GVSU’s Pow Wow featured a Laker Dance for GVSU students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Ellie Myers, of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe, prepares her regalia before the Pow Wow.

(From left) Rowan receives help with her regalia from mother, Rebby Stewart, near sister, Juniper, and grandmother, Lisa Shananaquet, before the All Walks of Life Traditional Powwow at the Fieldhouse on April 4. They are part of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa tribe.

(From left) Rowan receives help with her regalia from mother, Rebby Stewart, near sister, Juniper, and grandmother, Lisa Shananaquet, before the Pow Wow. They are part of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa tribe.

Air Force veteran George Martin, 90, center, of the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, is honored with a dance.

Members of the Woodland Stream Pow Wow group perform on a drum.

While Pow Wows are a celebration, they are also an opportunity for the community, both Native and non-Native, to learn and heal, Wilson noted. “I think, knowing the historical trauma that a lot of these communities have faced, Pow Wows are one way that we can heal,” she said. “No matter what is going on in anyone's life, those things don't matter once they step onto the arena floor. They're able to heal one another just by being around each other.”

Kella Elswick, president of the GVSU Native American Student Association, served on this year’s Pow Wow committee. “Before GVSU, I never really had the opportunity to go to a Pow Wow. It's an amazing experience for Native students to connect with the community,” she reflected.

Elswick says the planning committee also poses an important opportunity for students to learn the ropes for putting on a Pow Wow. “Everything in the Native community is taught through intergenerational teachings, so having students like me and the other NASA students and volunteers is really important. We can learn from our elders and carry on these traditions.”

William Snow performs during the All Walks of Life Traditional Powwow at the Fieldhouse on April 4.

William Snow, a member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Chippewa, performs during the Pow Wow.

Lisa Shananaquet, who is part of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa tribe, performs during the All Walks of Life Traditional Powwow at the Fieldhouse on April 4.

Lisa Shananaquet, who is part of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa tribe, performs during the Pow Wow.

For Ginger, a community member from the Holland area, the ‘All Walks of Life’ Pow Wow was the first Pow Wow she had attended. “With all the noise that's going on in our world, I just needed to find some peace,” she reflected. “ [The event] is beautiful. It's moving. I can't really put words to it. All you feel is love.”

Wilson said it is her hope that all community members can learn, be challenged and grow from the event. “I hope that it challenges those who don’t come from Native communities to think about how they can utilize their own power and privileges to uplift Native people and bring us into the conversations.”

Learn more about upcoming events by the Office of Multicultural Affairs on their website .

Current and former GVSU students, including Native American Student Association president Kella Elswick, far right, and NASA vice president Saviee Zavala-Perez, second from left, take part in a dance during the Pow Wow.