Adventures of Pow Wow, The (WBNT-CBS-Syndicated 1949-1958)

“Pow Wow, the Indian Boy, loved all the animals and the woods…”

Pow Wow was a small Native American boy who learned about life through a series of different adventures. Each episode would find Pow Wow interacting with nature or other Native Americans he would encounter in his travels. As is often the case in life, the young boy would start off on the wrong foot, but by the end of the episode, he would reach the right decision. When in doubt, Pow Wow consulted with the Medicine Man, who would share tales—based on Native American folklore—about “how it all began.”

Like The Adventures of Lariat Sam and Tom Terrific, The Adventures of Pow Wow ran as a segment on Captain Kangaroo, but unlike those two Terrytoons, Pow Wow had actually been around since the late 1940’s. The show originally aired in 15-minute blocks on local New York City TV, with no character dialogue and little animation.

Once it moved to Captain Kangaroo, the episodes only lasted five minutes and still contained no dialogue, which gave the show a universal appeal that made an impact on many young viewers.While the show may appear a bit politically incorrect in hindsight, it gave kids a positive overall message: think your choices through and follow your heart.

production details
USA / WBNT New York (1949) – CBS (1957 as part of Captain Kangaroo) – Syndicated (1958) / x15 and x5 minute episodes / Broadcast 1949, 1957 and 1958