Staff report
The U.S. Postal Service has launched its new “Powwows: Celebrating Native American Culture” stamps at a ceremony held at the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow in Albuquerque. The event, which took place on April 25 at Tingley Coliseum/Expo New Mexico, celebrated Native American music, dance, and culture with over 100,000 attendees.
Steve Monteith, the Postal Service’s chief customer and marketing officer, officiated the dedication. Southern Keres Cochiti Pueblo tribal member Mateo Romero designed the stamps, featuring original paintings of Native American dancers. The stamps portray the Women’s Traditional Dance, Crow Hop Dance, Men’s Hoop Dance, and Women’s Fancy Shawl Dance. USPS art director Antonio Alcalá also contributed to the stamp design.
“The Postal Service takes great pride in our stamps and the unique opportunity they offer to tell the story of America. That’s why we’re thrilled to be a part of this celebration of Native American music, dance and culture,” Monteith said. “We hope they inspire a deeper appreciation of Native American culture and influence all who see them.”
News about the stamps is being shared using the hashtag #PowwowsStamps. The stamps are now available for purchase at usps.com/shopstamps and Post Office locations nationwide.
“It’s a huge honor to be able to show the face of powwow culture to the world and take an art form like painting, with such historic ideas embedded in it, and transform it into a stamp,” said Romero. “The colors, movement and celebratory nature of this work point to a human condition of joy, ceremony, spirituality, culture and rebirth.”
Additional participants at the ceremony were Royale Dá, master of ceremonies and KOAT-TV news anchor; the Native American Women Warriors Honor Guard; Kansas Begaye, a Native American recording artist; and Antonio Alcalá, a USPS art director and the stamp designer.
News about the stamp is being shared on social media using the hashtag #PowwowsStamps.