William K. Powers is recognized as an international authority on American Indians. For over 50 years he has specialized in Lakota language, religion, music, dance, and material culture. He also has studied the cultures of other Native Americans, particularly the Comanche and Kiowa of Oklahoma. He has traveled to two thirds of all Indian communities in the United States, and has lectured widely in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Bill made his first trip to the Pine Ridge reservation in 1948 after meeting Lakotas who were performing at the International Folk Festival held traditionally in his home town of St. Louis. He was invited by John Colhoff, Edgar Red Cloud, Joseph Elk Boy, and Daniel White Eyes to come to Pine Ridge. After making arrangements to stay at Holy Rosary Mission at Pine Ridge, Bill boarded the train for what was to be the first of a half-century of excursions to Pine Ridge and other Lakota reservations.
In 1949, Bill received the Lakota name Wanbli Waste 'Good Eagle' at a gathering in the hamlet of Oglala, SD. In 1950, he stayed with the White Calf family in Loafer Camp, where he was adopted and given a second name, Kolayapi 'Made A Friend'. Finally in 1952 he was adopted by Frank Aftaid of Horses at Red Cloud Community.
Bill comes from a theatrical family. His father, William V. Powers (also known as Bill Powers) was a dancer who began his career in vaudeville and eventually became dance director at the famous Roxy Theater in New York City. He later went on to stage dances for Milton Berle, Patti Page, and other television shows. Bill's mother, Mildred R. Powers (nee Burkhardt) also was a dancer starting at age 16 with a dance troop called the St. Louis Ambassadorables. After the troop moved from the Ambassador Theater in St. Louis to the Roxy Theater in New York City, the name "Ambassadorables" was changed to "Roxyettes," then to "American Rockets." In 1932, the troop moved to the newly-established Radio City Music Hall, where they became known as the Rockettes.
Born in St. Louis, Bill moved to New York City when he was 17 to pursue a career in theater. He was an actor and musician and eventually joined a vocal group, "The Four Esquires." After the group disbanded, he became a professional writer working in journalism, advertising, and public relations. He also is a published poet and playwright. His play, "The Abbey," was staged off-Broadway at the Polaris Theater in 1985. His musical, "That Certain Something," for which he wrote the music, lyrics, and book, was showcased in New York City also in 1985. His two-act farce, "Collections," premiered at the Ice House Theatre in St. Joseph, Mo., in April, 1993.
He began his academic career late receiving his B.A. (summa cum laude) from Brooklyn College, City University of New York in 1971; an M.A. from Wesleyan University in 1972; and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1975, all in anthropology.
He has taught anthropology at the University of Pennysylvania, Rider University, Princeton University, and Rutgers University. He also has taught Lakota religion and philosophy at the Oglala Lakota College (then Oglala Sioux Community College).
During his tenure at Rutgers, he received grants to conduct research on Lakota language and culture from the National Endowment for the Humanities, National Science Foundation, Russell Sage Foundation, Minnesota Historical Society, and Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research.
He is a member of the American Anthropological Association, American Ethnological Society, The Authors League, The Dramatists Guild, The Academy of American Poets, Native American Art Studies Association, and the (European) American Indian Workshop. In the past he has served as a member of the board of directors of the Indian Rights Association, Philadelphia; the Clark Center for the Performing Arts, New York City; and as President of the Philadelphia Anthropological Society. He is a charter member and patron of the Red Cloud Indian Art Show, Heritage Center, Pine Ridge.
He also has served as a consultant on commercial films, public television in the United States and Great Britain, and leading art museums, historical societies, and universities. He also has consulted with the Oglala Sioux Tribe, The National Park Service and the Lakhota Language Project for the University of Colorado.
At Rutgers, he founded the Graduate Certificate Program in North American Indian Studies, the first interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program in academia, and served as its director for seven years.
In 1998, after 24 years at Rutgers, he resigned as Distinguished Professor of Anthropology in order to pursue his interests in Lakota culture and language full time. He currently is Editor and Publisher of Lakota Books.
Since 1959 he has published 23 books and monographs and over 200 articles on American Indians including Oglala Religion; Yuwipi: Vision and Experience in Oglala Ritual; Sacred Language: The Nature of Supernatural discourse in Lakota; Beyond the Vision: Essays on American Indian Culture; and War Dance: Plains Indian Musical Performance. With his wife, Marla, he published Powwow Trails, a monthly newsletter about contemporary powwows. His works have been translated into French, Italian, Spanish, and Swedish. He also has served as consultant to G.P. Putnams Sons for their series, American Indians Then and Now. Two books in this series written by him, Indians of the Northern Plains and Indians of the Southern Plains received awards of excellence from the New Jersey State Teachers Association.
Bill met Marla Powers in 1955 and they were married in 1957.