Editor’s Note – Responses from candidates appear exactly as they were submitted without editing for content or style.
Chairman candidates
John “Rocky” Barrett
Incumbent
Potawatomi name (if applicable) and family:
Keweoge (He Leads Them Home). My Mother was Annetta Peltier Barrett, Grandfather was Oliver A. Peltier, my grandmother was Ozetta Bourassa Peltier
Residence:
Shawnee, Oklahoma
Education and/or other achievements:
I attended Princeton University from 1962 to 1965 before earning a Bachelor of Science in Business (Marketing and Management) from Oklahoma City University in 1967. I continued my education at the Oklahoma City University Graduate School of Business from 1967 to 1968 and was later awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commercial Sciences from St. Gregory’s University in 2003. Over the years, I have worked to transform CPN primarily through Constitutional changes, creating virtual Tribal Legislature, expanding services, and growing our economic impact to $822 million. I am honored to have received the Sovereignty Award and multiple Harvard Honoring Nations Awards for my efforts. I was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 2024.
Employment:
Chairman, Citizen Potawatomi Nation 1985 (the longest serving chief tribal elected official in the United States).
General statement:
Running for Tribal Chairman is important to me because I want to continue guiding the progress we have made over the past 40 years. We have just come through one of the toughest periods in our history fighting the Covid epidemic and the economic crisis that followed it and which continues into today.
It is vital that Citizen Potawatomi Nation plays a key role in helping our people recover and emerge stronger. Our unprecedented growth has allowed us to serve our people like no other tribe in the U.S. It would be my greatest honor to continue leading our Nation, ensuring a future built on truth, caring for our people in need, economic resilience, and enhanced opportunity for all Citizen Potawatomi.
Charles Scott
Challenger
Potawatomi name (if applicable) and family:
My Potawatomi name is Wenbisa, which translates to Light Rain. My Christian name is Charles Scott, and I am from the Peltier, Vieux and Ogee Families.
Residence:
Norman, Oklahoma
Education and/or other achievements:
BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies from St. Gregory’s University. I’m also a graduate of our Mdamen program, which I highly recommend.
Employment:
I’m a veteran of the Army and Navy. I have worked as a Maintenance Mechanic, a Union Organizer, and a Paramedic.
General statement:
I’m a running for Chairman. Our Tribe is experiencing a Generational Change in Leadership. We will inherit a Tribe with a good financial foundation. For past 30 years our Elder Generation has built this foundation by focusing on businesses and education programs. My personal Pledge: I will be bringing transparency to our Government, Businesses and Budgets. We will refocus our government on using our businesses to support, restore and preserve our Language and Culture. We will restore our community and focus on how we do government in a more Traditional way. I will establish a Elders Council, a Youth Council and Veterans Council, who will then work with our Legislature to fund our Cultural programs. We will have more than 1 family event per year.
Legislative District 1 candidates
Steve Livingston
Challenger
Potawatomi name (if applicable) and family:
Waszo. Anderson/Hardin
Residence:
Toledo, Ohio
Education and/or other achievements:
Associates in Computer Programming & Associates in Information Systems
Employment:
Senior Engineering Manager at Sinch, a global telecommunications company
based in Stockholm, Sweden.
General statement:
For more information, please visit my website at cpndistrict1.com.
bozho ginwa!
Steve Livingston ndezhnëkas. nyéwwabdêk ndetsëponges. New Britain, Connecticut ngi ndades nesh thé Toledo, Ohio ga thë mathigëyan miné mégwa zhe ngom odë wpi ndeda. Hello to you all! My name is Steve Livingston. I am 40 years old. I was born in New Britain, Connecticut but I grew up and was raised in Toledo, Ohio and still live here today.
Shawnee, Oklahoma ga thë mathiget o ngëtthe meshomes i thé miné mana ngothi 1930 iw ga byé anthit zhi Toledo, Ohio. My great grandfather was raised in Shawnee, Oklahoma and then sometime around 1930 he moved here to Toledo, Ohio.
bodwéwadmiwnene ndaw miné zhishibéniyêk e zhë dbéndagwzëyan gigo wdodémwan gi ndankwëbthegnêk. I’m Potawatomi and I’m enrolled with the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. My ancestors were fish clan.
nish nnithansêk ndesak. ngot shkénigesh miné o ngot shkénigkwé ndesak. Chase miné Caitlyn zhenkazwik. mdatso nseth ngotwatso wdë tsëpongezé o ndanes miné nishwabdêk nseth nish wdetsëpongezé o ngwes. I have two children. One young man and one teenage girl. Chase and Caitlyn are their names. My daughter is 16 and my son is 22 years old.
Software Engineering Manager éngezyan. miné zhë nangodgen nwi kenomëwak gi nwith bodwéwadmiyêk ewi gkéndëmwat odë bodwéwadmimwen. I work as a Senior Software Engineering Manager, and after work I sometimes help and teach others this Potawatomi language.
mbégesh na ewi në gigdownenewëyan ewi nishokmëwgwa godë gdeneshnabéymenanêk. nnedwéndan ewi kkéndëmwat odë neshnabémwen miné ewi mno bmadzëwat.
ttho shna mégwa bodwéwadmik gwi në yawsimen gishpen bon neshnabémygo, gi kedok gdë gekyamenanêk. I wish to become your representative to help our people. I want them to know this Indian language so that they will live a good life. We will no longer be Potawatomi people if we stop speaking our language, our elders have said.
mbégesh na nëwetth wnishokmëwawan ni gbëmadzimnanen gi naganthêk, miné gdë gekyamenanêk miné gi gnithansënanêk. nnedwéndan ewi nishokmadwat thayék gi bodwéwadmiyêk. Potawatomi Confederacy gwi zhnëkangomen. I wish our leaders would better help our people, our elders and our children. I want them to work with eachother, all of the Potawatomi people, the Potawatomi Confederacy as we call it.
gnedwéndamen ewi gkéndëmgo i e zhê gnenëmwat nzhonyamnan egmé gizhêk. gda byé widmagwnanêk i wa dodëmwat i budget shna. thak shna gégo gda widmagwnanêk gi naganthêk. gda byé wabdë’ëgwnanêk ni mzen’ëgnen miné wa nakwnëmwat.
We want to know how they are managing and holding our money. We want them to share the budget (and our finances). Our leaders should be open and transparent. They should show us those papers and their decisions (public records).
wi në é’démen gizes e gothêk. gizha byé yazhdéyakwbyémëwshêk. In June, I ask that please vote for me.
Anna Johnson
Challenger
Potawatomi name (if applicable) and family:
I am a descendant of Julia Bruno and Ellen Vieux
Residence:
Mishawaka, Indiana
Education and/or other achievements:
- BS in University Studies and Biblical Studies; Kentucky Christian University 2010
- CPN Partnership program graduate; Masters of Business Administration, Oklahoma Baptist University 2020
- Published author
- Completed a Spartan Race 2x Trifecta in 2019 (Two 5k,10k, and 21k obstacle races in the same calendar year)
Employment:
Owner/operator of My Ribbon Closet since July 2024 and Full time wife and mother since 2020
General statement:
Running for District 1 legislator allows me to say “Thank you” to my Potawatomi Family in the biggest way, for the many benefits I’ve experienced throughout my life; which directly inspired my recent in-depth reconnection journey. My desire is to acknowledge the concerns of tribal members in my district, to advocate and participate in the strengthening and sharing of Potawatomi culture throughout the entirety of District 1, and to give clarity of the legislative decisions made & how tribal members’ will benefit.
I hope to continue to connect with you on socials (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) or email at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you! Please keep me in your prayers and thank you for the consideration of your vote.
Legislative District 3 candidates
Brenda Trevino
Challenger
Potawatomi name (if applicable) and family:
Ogee is my family name. Mkede’wanqwetqwe (Black Cloud Woman) is my Potawatomi name. I love my name. Chairman Barrett selected this name for me due to the adventurous trail I have walked through life. It describes the cloud that follows a buffalo heard as they travel across the plains. I was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, and moved to Texas as an adult where I met my husband and raised my family. I am now widowed with a daughter and son-in-law in Arkansas and a son in Texas near me.
Residence:
I live in Shenandoah, Texas (a few miles north of Houston) in Montgomery County. Prior to my current location, I lived in Harris County Texas from 1987 through 2017. I also lived in Corpus Christi, Texas, for 5 years in the 1980’s.
Education and/or other achievements:
I received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University (1981). I hold a Texas Professional Engineering License (1993-present) and a Project Management Professional certification (2009-present). I received an MBA from Texas Women’s University (2014) while working full-time. I also served on the Houston Metropolitan Planning Organization Technical Advisory Committee for Port Houston for 4 years. Always eager to learn and grow in preparation for new opportunities.
Employment:
My career spans 42 years; 12 years for Exxon USA South Texas Division and Exxon Marketing in engineering and regulatory capacities, then 13 years for Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) in charge of building flood prevention projects, and finally 17 years for Port Houston. I was hired as the Port Chief Civil Engineer and retired in 2024 as the Director Technical & Business Analytics with a staff that evaluated business opportunities, managed grants and environmental sustainability for the port.
General statement:
My entire life I have been known as one who brings people together to get things done, a person of connection. I care about others. I ask questions until I understand the needs and issues that need to be solved and then solve them with the assistance of others. Working in the public and private sectors, I see more than one point of view. I confidently believe I am the best candidate for the position, and being recently retired, I have the time and availability to work for you without competing priorities.
Brian Walker
Challenger
Potawatomi name (if applicable) and family:
I am a descendant of the Hetzell family. Based on research that my grandmother (Ina Mae Wheeler Walker) did years ago, it appears that I am also a descendant of the Vieux family. I have not yet requested a Potawatomi name.
Residence:
I am a Seventh-Generation Texan on my mother’s side. With the exception of overseas and out of state military duty, I have been a Texas resident my entire life. I have lived in Fort Worth since 2008.
Education and/or other achievements:
I graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. from Texas State University in 2000.
I later received two master’s degrees. I graduated with an MA in International Relations from OU while earning a perfect 4.0 GPA. And, I have a master’s degree in theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. I graduated “with honors” from DTS.
I received my Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Houston in 2003. While attending U of H, I served as the President of the law school chapter of the Christian Legal Society.
I was the first Judge Advocate in the history of the U.S. Air Force to serve as a Flight Commander/Instructor (drill instructor) at the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School in Alabama. This milestone received international coverage on Air Force Television, The Citizen Airman magazine, and various newspapers. You can watch a video that the Air Force did about my service at OTS by visiting voteforwalker.com. You can read about my other awards, accolades, and background on my judicial website via that link.
Employment:
I serve at the second highest level in the Texas judiciary. I have been a Justice on the Second Court of Appeals for over four years. Our court has jurisdiction over twelve counties in North Texas serving well over four million constituents.
In addition to my work as a judge, I also have an ownership interest in a small number of businesses. My wife and I own a 14,000-square-foot commercial property in north Texas, and a fellow Air Force veteran and I own an 80-acre equine training facility in East Texas.
General statement:
I am running for this position based on a desire to serve my tribal family. I am very proud to have dual citizenship in the United States and our sovereign tribal nation. You might remember that I ran for this position when it was originally instituted back in 2008. I came in first place in the initial election, and then my friend Bob Whistler bested me in the runoff by a handful of votes. If given the opportunity, I feel confident that I will be able to do the job well.
My three-part platform is simple:
I want to use my vast experience to serve our people in developing sound tribal policy.
I want to maximize benefits for all tribal members while making sure that the tribe continues to thrive long into the future.
I hope to use my vast political experience and ties to network with leaders in D.C. – in order to attain the greatest federal benefits possible.
Jennifer Bertelsen
Challenger
Potawatomi name (if applicable) and family:
My tribal name is, Kno Migwenkwe (Eagle Feather Woman). I am a descendant of the Bourbonnais family through my 5th Great-Grandmother Catherine Chevelier “Catish” Bourbonnais, Peter Bourbonnais, Mary Margaret Bourbonnais, Effie Mae Dike, Hazel Francis Coder, Emma Mae Fry, and father Andrew Walters
Residence:
My husband and I reside in Sanger, Texas.
Education and/or other achievements:
Rather than following the traditional path from high school to college, I built my career through hands-on experience and continuous learning. Now that my children are grown, I am working toward completing my business degree to reinforce my commitment to lifelong learning.
I am also a graduate of the second Mdamen class, a CPN leadership program designed to help members connect with tribal identity and better understand our culture, government, and community.
Employment:
I am the Regional Vice President of a global logistics company, overseeing four offices and a territory that spans eleven states in the Western United States. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to travel the world, leading international sales initiatives and developing strategic supply chain solutions for our customers. Alongside my corporate responsibilities, my husband and I also own a small business.
General statement:
I believe in the principles of responsible government, economic sustainability, transparency, and creating opportunities for all tribal members. Our nation deserves leaders who understand the value of hard work, can make tough decisions, and are committed to building a strong future. I will use my business experience and problem-solving skills to serve our District and our Nation, strengthening our economy and ensuring a prosperous future for generations. We must continue to grow our business enterprises and enhance our educational, healthcare, and cultural programs. We must also find new and better ways to engage our youth.
It would be an honor to serve as your legislator, and I look forward to earning your trust, support, and vote.