Deanna Standing Cloud became one of the first females to Emcee at a Pow Wow in 2017. In this episode, Deanna discusses her journey to the Pow Wow microphone.
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Deanna StandingCloud is a citizen of the Red Lake Nation of Anishinaabe. She is currently the Urban Facilitator with Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s Aanjibimaadizing program in Minneapolis. She is an active member of the Native community and is currently learning the Ojibwe language and culture, as it is the foundation for all of her work.
She is a mother, playwright, organizer, artist, community educator, and advocate for Indigenous people. In her spare time she can scrape up, Deanna enjoys spending time with her children and fiancé, attending traditional ceremonies, going on nature walks, creating art, building community, and cooking yummy food.
She began emceeing powwows around 2017 for smaller school events in Minneapolis. Her big break came in 2019 when Leech Lake Labor Day powwow invited her to emcee to honor Missing and Murdered Indigenous women. StandingCloud is thankful to her family and everyone for supporting her on this journey. When asked about her experience as a female powwow emcee, she stated, “It was tough to be in a space historically held by men, but when young ladies approached me saying I was inspiring to them, it made everything worth it.”
Last Updated on February 16, 2024 by Paul G
