The Pow Wow arbor/arena fulfills many purposes. It establishes a permanent facility for the annual Pow Wow, which attracts people from across the country (attendance was over 10,000 in 2005). This annual event provides opportunity for old friends to reunite and for all participants and spectators to be united in this important part of Native American experience.

The arena/arbor provides education and outreach to visitors throughout the year through interpretive signage and granite inlays. East of the entrance, a digitally embedded fiberglass sign illustrates the cultural significance of the Pow Wow and the singers and dancers who participate. Eight etched granite plaques displaying a description, and a photograph of a dancer performing one of the eight dance styles commonly performed in this part of the country, have been placed in the concrete path beneath the arbor.

Finally, the Pow Wow arbor/arena serves as a piece of art on the land. In addition to the educational attributes, upon closer inspection a visitor is able to appreciate the sculptural quality of the steel structure and the striking patterns created by the shadows it casts. Its massive size and the brilliant colors serve as a beacon inviting people from the adjacent highway and the surrounding community into the park for a closer look.