PowWows.com was started in 1996 by Paul Gowder. Over the past 25 years, its mission has remained the same: to provide a place where everyone can experience and explore Native American culture.
I attended my first pow wow in the early 90s. As a graduate student, I wanted to teach myself HTML, so I started building the first pages that would become PowWows.com. I first wrote about my experiences learning about pow wows, beadwork, ribbonwork, and more. And to my surprise, the site started reaching people from various tribes, states—even countries. When I first started building the site, the goal was to share information and connect people.
My goal has always been to help everyone learn and experience Native culture. I believe the more people that appreciate the culture the more support Native people will have.
“People protect what they love, they love what they understand and they understand what they are taught.” – Jacques-Yves Cousteau
Today, PowWows.com is a top destination for Native American culture, interviews, live videos, events, and more. PowWows.com continues to elevate Native voices and highlight issues that matter most in indigenous communities.
PowWows.com Staff
Currently, PowWows.com has two full-time employees and several independent contractors, including writers, video producers, live streamers, and others. This team includes several enrolled Native American individuals.
Live Stream Production Team
- Mike Gabbard
Delaware Tribe of Indians, Northeastern Oklahoma - Delores Gabbard
Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, Manitoba - Ryan McDonnell
Seminole Descent
PowWows.com in the Community
PowWows.com is proud to give back to the community through several nonprofit partnerships.
PowWows.com funded a $5,000 scholarship with the American Indian College Fund, a sponsorship for Professional Disc Golfer Leah Tsinajinnie, as well as donations to the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center. In 2023, PowWows.com partnered with the Paul McBeth Foundation to help develop 2 disc golf courses in indigenous communities.
Cultural Advisor
PowWows.com is advised by Native Pride Productions and Larry Yazzie providing PowWows.com cultural insight and perspective. Native Pride Productions is also advising PowWows.com on perspective issues and needs in the Native American community.
About Paul Gowder
Paul Gowder lives in South Carolina, where he has worked as an Information Technology Project Manager for the State of South Carolina for over 25 years. He has been an active member of the pow wow community since the early 90s, as a dancer, organizer, committee member, and judge. Gowder is a descendant of Native American relatives on his father's side.