Saying “factors beyond our control… made continuing challenging”, organizers of the nation’s largest Native American Pow Wow announced on Saturday that the 2026 event in Albuquerque would be its last.
The 2026 Gathering of Nations announcement was made on social media and via email over the weekend and included a preview of the event poster, including the theme of “the last dance.” Organizers did not respond to email or text questions on Monday, but a series of questions on the event’s website confirmed that the 43rd annual pow wow, a Native American meetup and celebration, and the accompanying Miss Indian World pageant would not be produced beyond 2026. Organizers say the nonprofit organization responsible for both would continue in other ventures.
The Gathering of Nations was held at The Pit at the University of New Mexico for 30 years before UNM abruptly announced in 2016 that it would cancel the hosting contract because of concerns, including “risk services, police and security.”
The event soon found a home at Expo New Mexico, home of the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque’s International District. ICT News, formerly Indian Country Today, previously reported that performers had been critical of slow payments from organizers.
In 2022, Derek Matthews, one of the longtime organizers, told KOAT that organizers for the event did not take a salary and said they gave away all of the proceeds after covering expenses.
The final pow wow is set to be held April 24-25 in Albuquerque.
What a major loss.
It is a sad day of this notification of final departure for the “last dance gathering nations and miss Indian word to end after 2026.” New Mexico will not be the same.
The recent Indian Market in Santa Fe was the biggest I’ve ever seen, and very social.