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The United Houma Nation is excited to invite the community to the 13th Annual Celebrating Abilities/Disabilities Awareness Powwow this June, a unique event that blends cultural tradition with a special focus on honoring individuals with disabilities.
Powwows are important Native American gatherings which involve singing, dancing, food, crafts, storytelling, and more, but most importantly, an opportunity to connect and preserve their culture – and Terrebonne Parish‘s local tribe is no exception.
The United Houma Nation has been hosting powwows for decades, but in 2008, put a unique twist on the traditional powwow and shifted the focus to celebrating those with disabilities, as well as highlighting their Vocational Rehabilitation Services Program– inspiring the “Celebrating Abilities” theme for the event.
The United Houma Nation Vocational Rehabilitation Program has been in existence for 24 years, and offers employment services for United Houma Nation and Chitimacha tribal citizens with disabilities. The goal of the program is to assist eligible individuals with disabilities in planning for, reaching, and maintaining meaningful employment. The theme for 2025’s powwow is ‘Everyone Fits,’ which will focus specifically on Autism awareness.
“Our annual Celebrating Abilities Powwow is meant to celebrate individuals with disabilities, and show that they are an important and valued part of the local workforce,” explained Jared Crosby with the United Houma Nation. “The powwow circle is the perfect place to embrace the inclusion of individuals with disabilities.”
The powwow is not just for raising awareness and promoting employment, however – there will be lots of exciting activities for everyone to enjoy. There will be traditional Native American singing and dancing, Native American dress, arts and crafts vendors, local Native American food, and more. The powwow is expected to pull Native performers and attendees from across the entirety of Louisiana, and even out-of-state – at last year‘s powwow, there were over 70 registered dancers, hailing from Louisiana, Arizona, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas.
For members of the United Houma Nation, the powwow is an incredibly important and exciting time for the community, and one of the best ways to strengthen relationships near and far. “Our powwow is really a family reunion. You see people that you haven’t seen in such a long time and it‘s wonderful,” said Chief Lora Ann Chaisson. “And it‘s not just for people you know, either – we have people come from across the country, and anyone who walks through those doors at our event becomes family. It‘s a southern thing!”
The 13th Annual Celebrating Abilities Powwow will take place on June 28 and 29, 2025 at the Barry P. Bonvillain Civic Center, and is free and open to the public– you do not need to be affiliated with the United Houma Nation to attend.
“We encourage everyone to come by, even if you aren’t a member of the United Houma Nation,” said Chief Chaisson. “The city of Houma is named after our tribe, and we are the ancestral inhabitants of this land, so we really would love people to stop by, learn about our culture, and embrace this tradition. It‘s a huge undertaking, and we want everyone to come celebrate with us.”
Edited for publication on the Times of Houma/Thibodaux. For the complete article, please visit POV Magazine.
