2026 Winter Social: Tennessee Indigenous Women’s Circle

A Community Gathering of Food, Song, Dance, and Story

Join the Tennessee Indigenous Women’s Circle at Scarritt Bennett Center for a Midwinter Social, an Indigenous community-building gathering rooted in ancestral traditions of hospitality, gratitude, and collective care.

Socials are informal yet deeply meaningful gatherings that have sustained Indigenous communities for generations. Through shared food, music, dance, storytelling, and gift-giving, participants reconnect with cultural lifeways that strengthen identity, resilience, and mutual support. While socials are primarily an Indigenous community practice, all are welcome, reflecting the Indigenous worldview that “we are all related.”

Winter has long been a traditional season for gathering and storytelling, making this an especially fitting time to come together. This gathering takes place on January 17, the day before the Iroquois New Year, a significant ceremonial time in many Indigenous traditions.

What to Expect

• A welcoming, intergenerational gathering (infant to elder)
• Opening prayer and remarks
• Potluck meal (participants are invited to bring a dish to share)
• Traditional drum, singing, and round dances
• A give-away, a customary expression of gratitude and thanks
• Space for connection, relationship-building, and cultural sharing

Hospitality and thankfulness are sacred responsibilities within Indigenous cultures. This gathering offers a space of warmth, respect, and belonging during a season when community is especially needed.

Event Details

Date: Saturday, January 17, 2026
Time: 3:00–8:00 p.m.
Location: Laskey Hall (Scarritt Bennett Center campus)
Estimated Attendance: 30–40 participants of all ages

Schedule Highlights:

• 3:00 p.m. – Doors open
• 3:30 p.m. – Opening prayer and remarks
• 4:00 p.m. – Potluck and give-away
• 6:00 p.m. – Round dances
• 8:00 p.m. – Closing and cleanup

About the Tennessee Indigenous Women’s Circle

The Tennessee Indigenous Women’s Circle is a newly formed nonprofit organization dedicated to fulfilling ancestral responsibilities as Indigenous women. Their mission is to rebuild community structures grounded in traditional values and lifeways in order to ensure a resilient future for all relations. Though newly organized, the Circle is actively responding to the urgent needs of Indigenous communities through relationship-centered, culturally grounded work.

This event reflects a shared commitment between the Tennessee Indigenous Women’s Circle and Scarritt Bennett Center to create space where individuals and communities engage one another toward a more just world.