Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. US) to chat, to converse with, to talk to.

[1642		T. Lechford Plain Dealing (1867) 117: They will have their tomes of Powaheing, which they will, of late, have called Prayers, according to the English word [OED]].
[1825		J. Neal Brother Jonathan III 388: The old witch pow-wowed over that].
1834		D. Crockett Narrative of Life of D.C. (1934) 81: Here we paused for a few minutes, and the prophets pow-wowed over their men awhile, and then got out their paint, and painted them, all according to their custom.
1874		Grange Advance (Red Wing, MN) 3 June 7/3: Then the legislature will commence to pow-wow, and it will pow-wow and pow-wow.
1884		(con. c.1840) ‘Mark Twain’ Huckleberry Finn 31: We would go to the cave and pow-wow over what we had done.
1897		A.H. Lewis Wolfville 100: They’s [...] pow-wowin’ mighty onamiable.
1903		A. Adams Log Of A Cowboy 237: And there they will sit and powwow.
1915		C.E.W. Bean Anzac Book 136/2: Therefore the Colonels, Majors and Captains took heed, and after much lengthy pow-wowing issued to their men this edict: [etc.].
1933		‘Goat’ Laven Rough Stuff 111: The Justice and his town clowns began pow-wowing together and they saw the chance of shaking us for a good piece of money.
1940		E. Curry Hysterical Hist. of Aus. 144: Much airy persilage, bright banter, paralysing pow-wowing and just plain hot air.
1959		W. Burroughs Naked Lunch (1968) 23: I knew they were out there powowing and making their evil fuzz magic.
1999		(con. 1916) R. Doyle Star Called Henry (2000) 131: While the Provisional Government pow-wowed around Connolly’s bed.
2023		R. Milward Man-Eating Typewriter 354: ‘What good is there in [...] acting like a stroppy brick wall?’ I pow-wowed.