Under the baobab: Penn State Powwow founder leaves lasting legacy
“As long as we dance we will know who we are.” -Prof. John Sanchez
Happy spring and Eid Mubarak, sisters and brothers. The holy month of Ramadan ended on Friday with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr. Our Muslim neighbors celebrated with communal prayer, fasting, zakat and spiritual renewal by visiting family and friends, wearing new clothes, and attending to special needs. Sadly this year, this time of joy and celebration is marred by war in the Middle East, the cradle of three great religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism. Our time of grief should not be focused on oil but a renewal of compassion, dignity and respect.
There are those who come into a wanting world and seek ways to transform it into a better place. Sensing a desert they plant gardens. Seeing an absence they create a lasting presence. Such a one was our brother, leader and colleague John Sanchez.
John and Victoria joined Penn State in 1997. John was a faculty member in the Bellisario College of Communications. At the time they were the only native family in our Nittany Valley community, which was erroneously named after an “extinct indigenous tribe.” John, a leading scholar of in the field of intercultural studies, accessed the situation. Then, rather than “cursing the darkness,” he lit a candle.
John’s tribal affiliation was Yaqui/Apache. Mining was his cultural heritage, and he inaugurated a local Powwow, a traditional ceremony. Native dancers, chefs, vendors and scholars were invited to come to our community to share their heritage, their culture, their joy. From those beginnings, over the years, thousands have come to participate, native and non-native. Through these efforts we have been elevated by the wisdom from our most ancient American peoples. We are, only because they were.
The 20th Penn State Powwow, “New Faces of an Ancient People,” will fill the C3 Sports Complex March 28-29. For the first time, Professor Emeritus John Sanchez will be with us in spirit only. He was laid to rest in Kansas, near his mother and father, surrounded by his loving family.
We share collective love and grief with Victoria, their children, Dakota and Kerry, Brave Heart and Cindy and grandchildren.
Elsewhere around town
Congratulations to the Penn State women’s hockey team. They made it to the Frozen Four for the first time, with the NCAA tournament finals held at Pegula Ice Arena. And roll on, PSU wrestling. The dynasty continues — favorites to win the NCAA Championship. We believe they will.
Welcome back Tanisha Wright, the new head coach of the Lady Lions. We have been fans of Tanisha since she played under Renee Portland in 2001 to 2005, leading the Lady Lions to back-to-back Big Ten titles and four NCAA appearances. She was a three time Big Ten Defensive player of the year.
We followed her to the pros where she played for 10 years with the Seattle Storm, leading them to nine straight playoffs and the 2010 championship. One of the league’s stars, she was defensive first team five times. Her first head coaching job was from 2021-24 with the Atlanta Dream, where she was named the AP Coach of the Year in 2022. Let’s go, back to the big show! D-D-D-Defense.
Welcome to Prof. Emily Metzgar, the new Dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications. Metzgar joins us from Kent State University, where she was director at the school of media and journalism.
And the struggle continues. Fifty anti-ICE demonstrators were at Centre County Courthouse on Wednesday. There’s a No Kings Rally on March 28 at Old Main Lawn, from 1-3 p.m.
“When you see something that is not right, you must say something. You must do something. Democracy is not a state. It is an act, and each generation must do its part …. You must also study and learn the lessons of history because humanity has been involved in this soul-wrenching, existential struggle for a very long time.” – John Lewis
Charles Dumas is a lifelong political activist, a professor emeritus from Penn State, and was the Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is a Lions Paw honoree. He lives in State College with his wife and partner of over 50 years.