Pášx̣apa Powwow Returns for a Third Year
|
Whitman College will host the third annual Pášx̣apa Powwow—sponsored by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), the City of Walla Walla, and Walla Walla Community College—on Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Sherwood Athletic Center. The event is free and open to the public.
Named for the Cayuse word “pášx̣apa” meaning “place of the wild sunflowers,” the event brings together dancers, drummers, and vendors from tribes across the Pacific Northwest. It is part of Whitman College’s ongoing efforts to recognize and honor the homelands of the Cayuse, Walla Walla, and Umatilla tribes and to celebrate Native American culture.
The main floor of Sherwood will feature vendor booths with Indigenous traditional foods—including fry bread and Indian tacos—as well as crafts by Native artists. The day will also include a Grand Entry, the presentation of Pášx̣apa Royalty, and a dance competition, with competitors of all ages performing in their traditional regalia.
“It’s a really meaningful way to celebrate our traditions with the campus community, the wider community and the tribes that will be coming from across the region,” says Jeanine Gordon, Powwow Committee Chair and Special Assistant to the President for Native American Outreach. “It brings us all together in unity, like we’re all one big community rather than separate people.”
This year, a local Mexican dance group, Ballet Folklorico Estrellas de Mexico, will also perform, the first time a non-Native cultural group has shared the floor at the event.
Read more.
|
|
|
|
Politics Professor Publishes Investigative Report
|
Assistant Professor of Politics Denise Fernandes and co-author Mridula Chari recently published an investigative journalistic article, “Government Company Dispossesses Landowners for Coal Mine Set To Close in Eight Years, With Least Possible Compensation.” Through 2.5 years of research, the authors discovered that a coal mining company owned by the government of India used multiple legal loopholes to tear down an urban settlement and reduce compensation for rightful landowners. Parsa Keshavarz Alamdari ’25, a recent Whitman Politics-Environmental Studies graduate, created the geographic information systems maps and satellite images for this investigation.
|
|
|
|
Sex Week continues with a self-defense class on Tuesday, April 28, from 5–7 p.m. in Sherwood 114. The class is hosted by 100 Kilos Jiu Jitsu Academy. (Flyer attached.)
|
One-Act Play Festival This Week
|
The 2026 One-Act Play Festival at Harper Joy Theatre will run April 30–May 2 at 8 p.m., with matinee performances May 2–3 at 2 p.m. This year’s lineup features three original plays that stretch genres and tones, from absurdist drama to supernatural satire to dark comedy. Admission is free for Whitman students. Reserve your tickets in advance. (Flyer attached.)
|
The Office of the President invites all staff members to a Staff Coffee Break on Friday, May 1, from 9–10 a.m. at the Edwards-Moore Clubhouse at Borleske Stadium. Turtletop transportation will be provided—leaving Cordiner Hall at 8:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. and returning at 9:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. Enjoy a break to socialize with your colleagues and learn more about Whitman’s athletic facilities and programs.
|
Wallapalooza Music & Art Festival on Saturday
|
The second annual Wallapalooza Music and Art Festival, organized by KWCW 90.5 FM, the Whitman Events Board, blue moon and quarterlife, will take place on Saturday, May 2, from 4–10:30 p.m. on Ankeny Field. This year’s event will feature live music, arts and crafts sold by local vendors, free food and mocktails, an inflatable obstacle course and jousting arena, lawn games, the newest issues of quarterlife and blue moon, and more. (Flyer attached.)
|
|
|
|
A big thank-you to everyone who helped welcome hundreds of prospective students and their families to campus for our second Spring Into Whitman day event! See more photos on Instagram.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 106
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sherwood Athletic Center, Room 114
|
|
|
|
Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
|
|
|
|
Whitman Today is emailed to Whitman College staff, faculty and students each weekday during the academic year and twice a week during breaks. An archive of previous issues is available online.
All submissions are welcome! If you have accomplishments to celebrate, an event to publicize or other Whitman content to share, email whitmantoday@whitman.edu. Submissions of 125 words or less are due by noon on the business day prior to publication. Submissions may be edited and/or held for a later date according to space and editorial needs. Your submission also authorizes use on Whitman's social media unless otherwise specified.
|
|
|
|
Find us on social media: @whitmancollege
|
|
|
|
