The Hozhoni Days (Navajo, meaning “Days of Beauty”) celebration is one of the oldest and biggest events at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. In years past, Hozhoni Days has attracted as many as 5,000 participants and visitors from across North America.

The 44^th Annual Hozhoni Days celebration has already begun and runs through March 30, 2008. The celebration highlights the cultures of many of the over 100 tribes represented by Fort Lewis College Native American students.

The nearly month long celebration kicked off on March 11 with “Inspired with a Vision,” an event featuring speakers and performances aimed at inspiring through art and culture.

Other Hozhoni Days events include the Native American Professional Speaker Series presentation of civil and structural engineer, Sandra Begay-Campbell on March 17. Also, an art exhibit, “100 Contemporary Works by Native Artists: the Bill and Sue Hensler Collection” opens on March 20 at the Center of Southwest Studies.

Traditionally, the most popular events have been the Miss Hozhoni Pageant and the Hozhoni Days Powwow. The Miss Hozhoni Pageant begins on March 25 with the crowning of a new Miss Hozhoni on March 29. The Powwow kicks off on March 28 and runs through March 29.

Hozhoni Days was originally created by the Fort Lewis College Shalako Indian Club (“shalako” is a Zuni word meaning “dance”). The club changed its name to Wanbli Ota in the 1970s (“wanbli ota” is Lakota, meaning “many eagles”).

To see a complete schedule of events, visit the Fort Lewis College Native American Center website at http://www.fortlewis.edu/student_life/native_american_center/hozhoni_days.asp or call 970-247-7221.