Pášx̣apa Powwow
Whitman College held the second Pášx̣apa Powwowat the Sherwood Athletic Center on Saturday, May 3, 2025. This event brought together tribal leaders, honored guests, drummers, dancers and vendors from throughout the Pacific Northwest. Read more and see photographs in the Scenes From the 2nd Annual Pášxapa Powwow article in Whitman Stories.
Pášx̣apa Powwow Mission Statement
The mission of the Pášx̣apa Powwow is to support the Memorandum of Agreement between Whitman College and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and strengthen Native American outreach, Šináata Scholarship outreach, Native American representation, and Native American student support. Whitman College is working to move forward in a positive relationship with the CTUIR recognizing the history of this region, honoring the homelands of the Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla Tribes, and celebrating Native American culture to promote higher education opportunities and successes for Native American students.
Location
Sherwood Athletic Center, 47 S Park St, Walla Walla, WA 99362
Why “Pášx̣apa”?
Pášx̣apa, meaning Place of the Wild Sunflowers, is the Cayuse name for the Walla Walla Valley. By giving this name to our powwow, we honor the original inhabitants of this area at the same time that we welcome their descendants to return and hold this sacred event on Whitman’s campus.
The pášx̣a plant is known in English as Arrowleaf Balsam Root.