A message from Central Wyoming College.
JACKSON, Wyo. — The sixth annual “Native Voices: Honoring Indigenous Ways,” a five-day celebration of Indigenous culture, storytelling and living traditions held May 5-9, drew thousands of attendees, visitors and participants to Wyoming.
The event brought together Indigenous filmmakers, visual artists, powwow dancers, cultural educators and community leaders to share perspectives reflecting both the deep history and vibrant present of Indigenous life in the region.
Programming included a documentary screening, a Jackson gallery art walk featuring Native artists and the renowned Teton Powwow. Native Voices and the Teton Powwow are collaborative efforts between Central Wyoming College and Native American Jump Start. Events were held on the Central Wyoming College Riverton campus and throughout Jackson Hole. Several free public events were offered alongside educational programming for elementary, high school and college students.
Award-winning producer Jhane Myers returned to Wyoming for screenings and discussions of the documentary Free Leonard Peltier in Fremont and Teton counties. The film revisits one of the most significant legal cases involving Native American civil rights, chronicling the imprisonment of American Indian Movement member Leonard Peltier and the decades of activism surrounding his case.
The screening drew an engaged audience to the Teton County Library on May 6. Myers, a member of the Comanche and Blackfeet nations, is recognized for her work preserving and elevating Native community stories through film. Filmmaker and curator Jordan Dresser moderated a discussion following the screening.
An evening celebrating Native American artistry was held at the Jackson Hole History Museum, Jackson Hole Art Auction and five Glenwood Street galleries. Hundreds attended the event to meet artists affiliated with tribes throughout the American West and enjoy an Indigenous-inspired menu created by Sean Sherman’s Owamni chef, North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, and the Central Wyoming College culinary students. That evening, Jackson Hole History Museum opened “Behind Linear Narratives: Indigenous Plains Ledger Art,” an exhibit exploring the continuum from 19th-century ledger drawings to contemporary Indigenous art and the passing of Indigenous knowledge to future generations.
The exhibit was co-curated by Al Hubbard, Central Wyoming College tribal assistant, and Susan Durfee, former CWC-Jackson director and Native Voices/Teton Powwow consultant. The exhibit will remain on display through Nov. 7.
Educational programming for Teton County elementary and high school students, as well as Central Wyoming College culinary students, was held throughout the week.
The sixth annual Teton Powwow continued to grow, drawing more spectators and participants than ever before. The powwow celebrates Native American culture, traditions, song and dance and featured more than 25 Indigenous craft and food vendors.
The event also hosted dance competitions in which participants were judged on their knowledge of culture and tradition, regalia and dance ability. More than $60,000 in contest prizes was awarded to winners. Native American Jump Start, a Jackson-based nonprofit organization, also awarded $11,000 in scholarships to Indigenous college students participating in the powwow.
More than 3,400 people attended the 2025 Teton Powwow, which featured 13 drum groups and 427 registered dancers representing 134 tribes from 17 states and two Canadian provinces. Organizers reported that more than half of participants stayed at least one night in Jackson-area hotels and visited local restaurants and attractions during the event.
Organizers said the event would not have been possible without support from numerous partners and sponsors, including the Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism Board, Mountain Modern Jackson Hole, Wyoming Humanities Council, Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, Community Foundation of Jackson Hole, The Decorative Arts Trust, Teton Conservation District, Shokota Powwow Supply, Fighting Bear Antiques, Chipeta Trading Company, Teton Resilience Network, NATIFS, INDIGENA by OWAMNI, History Jackson Hole, Dusty Dog Media, Powwows.com, Teton County Library, Shari Brownfield Gallery, Jackson Hole Art Auction, West Lives On Gallery, Gold Mountain Gallery, Gallery Wild, Penny Lane and the Buffalo Bill Center of the West.
