A pow wow (also powwow or pow-wow) is a social gathering held by many different Native American communities.The word derives from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning spiritual leader. A similar gathering by California Native Peoples usually in the fall is called a Big Time.he arena director makes sure dancers are dancing during the pow wow and that the drum groups know what type of song to sing. If there are contests the arena director is ultimately responsible for providing judges, though he often has another assistant who is the head judge.