A Night of Laughter, Culture, and Tradition at SACNAS Pow Wow 2024!

The SACNAS Pow Wow, part of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science's three-day conference, took place at the massive Phoenix Convention Center. I saved on parking by finding a street spot and walking over—plus, the venue is huge and easy to get lost in! Security just checked my bag and let me in, even with my gimbal and camera gear in full view—they probably thought I was part of the event team 😂 As I got closer, seeing more ribbon skirts confirmed I was on the right path. Shout-out to Trevor Foster for helping set the vibe! The air was tense with excitement—probably because so many attendees were experiencing their first pow wow. Uncle TT started off with jokes right away and kept the crowd laughing all night; I was doing my best not to laugh along while filming 😂 The event itself was free, with first-come, first-served seating. They ran out of water by the end 🥵 and though there weren’t food vendors, plenty of merch vendors set up shop. The dancer count was small, but champion hoop dancer Moontee Sinquah brought an unforgettable performance with his years of skill. Afterward, I headed home to trim the beginning and end of my two-hour video. A full-length, non-stop, 4K pow wow video is a rare sight on YouTube, so I'm excited to upload this one! 🤞

Added 7 Aug 2026