This weekend, the Native Music Coalition is organizing its first-ever Popover Battle and Ironman Pow Wow Competition. The free event is happening from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday, January 14 at Cholla High Magnet School, located at 2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd.
10 competitors will set off to win the grand prize of $3,000! The only requirement in this battle is that the contestants must be a member of a recognized tribe and need to hold an active Food Handlers card. Aside from that, the competitors are free to create their best dish by way of fry bread with whatever topping they choose.
The second and third place runner-ups will also have the opportunity to win some dough.
The generous prizes are made possible by the Native Music Coalition (NMC) and the Desert Diamond Casino who donated $1,000 towards the overall $6,000 prize pot. The NMC wants the prize money to make an impact in Native-owned businesses in southern Arizona with the idea for them to build capital and continue their journey in entrepreneurialism.
Background
“As a non-profit, we are proud to support Native Americans in Southern Arizona and teach them the importance of entrepreneurialism” stated a rep for the NMC. “As a non-profit, NMC is always looking for ways to support our indigenous communities and one of the ways we are going to support indigenous communities is by helping our community members develop and maintain Native American Owned businesses.”
“This is why we made having a business a requirement for the competition. For the first quarter of 2023, we want to empower those who are in the food service industry.”
What is the Native Music Coalition?
NMC came to be in 2016 as a collective group of artists who recognized the negative impact drugs and alcohol have on the youth in indigenous communities. The need grew even stronger during the COVID pandemic — the disparities the Native community faced doubled in numbers during the pandemic and so did the need for services.
NMC was able to bridge that gap that many others couldn’t by providing services that focus on spirituality, culture, and indigenous identity to help those who are in need.
Since receiving their non-profit status in 2018 they’ve begun sponsoring events and workshops with the simple goal of restoring hope among tribal youth. Since then, NMC has provided peer support and mentorship services across Southern Arizona and has helped over 700 native youth in the past two years.
Future events
The NMC is proud to host events like this and will do more throughout the year.
“We are focusing on helping kids express themselves through music”.
Look for their annual drum-making workshop with food, drinks, and guest speakers. Anyone from the community is welcome to attend.
The Popover Battle and Ironman Pow Wow Competition are taking place at Cholla High Magnet School, located at 2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd. For more information, follow the Native Music Coalition on Facebook.
