Dance of the Harvest Moon’ Powwow Fills UNCP With Song, Color—and Community

PEMBROKE, N.C. — September 26–28, 2025. The Lumbee Tribe’s annual “Dance of the Harvest Moon” powwow brought three days of grand entries, drum contests, and intertribal dancing to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke—after forecasts pushed the celebration indoors to the English E. Jones Athletic Center. The move kept the weekend on track and the arena full of dancers, elders, and families despite the weather. 

Organizers had expected one of the East Coast’s largest fall powwows, with hundreds of dancers and drummers representing nations from across the U.S. That’s exactly how the weekend opened on Friday night, as regalia filled the floor and emcees welcomed visiting drum groups. 

This year’s program also introduced a Women’s Eastern Woodland category (ages 18–49)—a nod to the Lumbee’s matrilineal traditions and the role women have played in sustaining community life. Grand entries ran Friday 7 p.m., Saturday noon & 6 p.m., Sunday 1 p.m.—a tempo that kept the Jones Center humming all weekend. 

Beyond the contest categories, the powwow featured specials (including Women’s Fancy Spotlight and Chairman’s Special – Women’s Southern Traditional), a living village, and a market of Lumbee artisans and foodways—part of what makes this gathering a regional cultural anchor. 

NMQF Joins in Celebration

Representatives from the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) were on-site throughout the weekend, connecting with local partners on Native health equity. NMQF’s Adjoa Kyerematen, Vice President of Communications & Public Affairs, was photographed with Lumbee Tribal Chairman John L. Lowery, underscoring a shared commitment to relationship-based work in Robeson County and across Indian Country. (NMQF attendance per organizer confirmation.)

Why It Matters

With an estimated 55,000–60,000 Lumbee citizens, the tribe is often described as the largest Native community east of the Mississippi River—and its fall powwow is both homecoming and showcase. The gathering arrives as the Lumbee continue to pursue full federal recognition, a long-running effort that drew fresh attention this year in Washington.

A Weather Pivot, Seamlessly Executed

Midweek, the Lumbee Tribe announced the site change from the Cultural Center in Maxton to UNCP to keep dancers and elders safe and the schedule intact. The relocation notice emphasized that all times and events would proceed as planned, which they did.