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Brown Bag Biography: The Politics of Prison Pow Wows

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Concealing Carceral Violence and Nurturing Positive, Native Identities: The Politics of Prison Pow Wows Dr. Tria Blu Wakpa is an Assistant Professor in the Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA and a 2025-2026 American Council of Learned Societies Fellow. UH Manoa KUY 410 12:00-1:15 PM Tuesday, March 31, 2026 Today, some prisons in the US hold pow wows, an outcome of the 1978 American Indian Religious Freedom Act. Yet, the origins of these special events in carceral contexts can also be traced to Native performances in the late 1870s. Often these contemporary gatherings occur in states and prisons with high percentages of Native people who are incarcerated. Dr. Blu Wakpa draws on scholarly and mainstream sources, participant observation of pow wows in prisons, and interviews with Native experts to delineate how these events serve the interests of carceral institutions and Native people who are/were imprisoned. By virtue of holding pow wows, prisons may appear as benevolent facilities committed to Native rehabilitation and familial reunification. However, these events can also conceal carceral violence. Simultaneously, Native people who are imprisoned continue to organize and value the pow wows because of the numerous benefits that the gatherings provide to them and their relatives.

Event Sponsor
Center for Biographical Research, Mānoa Campus

More Information
Carson Compos, 808-956-3774, brownbag@hawaii.edu