Since its first publication in 1971, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Hownikan has produced news, information and updates for Tribal members around the globe. The original publication under the direction of Secretary-Treasurer Beverly Hughes contained information on per capita payments from the 1960s-era Indian Claims Commission.

After the print edition of the paper is complete, staff upload stories and content on potawatomi.org daily and share it via CPN’s social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Event flyers and Tribal services graphics created by the department are distributed on these digital channels, published on billboards around Oklahoma or sent directly to Tribal members. The department also works with local media, such as the Shawnee News-Star and Countywide & Sun, to republish articles, photos, videos and audio interviews shared on the CPN YouTube page or incorporated into the Hownikan Podcast.

The team behind this undertaking consists of Tribal members and non-Citizen Potawatomi — some former journalists, others from different professional backgrounds. In recent years, the publication and its ancillary content have won numerous awards at state and national competitions.

Jennifer Bell – Editor

A graduate of the University of Tulsa and The University of Oklahoma, Bell joined CPN after spending 4 years at Cherokee Nation Businesses. She began working at CPN in 2012 and has worked diligently to share more CPN news with Tribal members and the public in general. Bell has served on the board of directors for the Oklahoma chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association. Bell is a descendant of the Ogee family. Her recent awards include:

  • 2018 – Shawnee Forward Excellence in the Community Award
  • 2018 – Oklahoma Gazette 40 Under 40
  • 2019 – Journal Record Achievers Under 40

Merit Award, Oklahoma Tourism Redbud Awards, Outstanding Media Coverage, FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival

Society of Professional Journalists Awards 2019

  • First Place, High Tech in Tecumseh (2019)
  • Third Place, FireLake FireFlight Balloon Festival (2019)

Native American Journalists Association Awards 2018, 2020, 2021

  • Third Place, What Happened with the Lottery? (2018)
  • Third Place, Mko Kno Soars (2018)
  • First Place, General Excellence (2020)
  • Third Place, Digital Publication (2021)
  • Second Place, General Excellence (2021)

Emily Guleserian – Graphic Artist

Hailing from McKinney, Texas, Guleserian is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma. She came to the Tribe straight from college, and in recent years, many CPN members have likely held her work in their hands when receiving a regional meeting invitation from their Tribal legislator. Guleserian’s work is also found on numerous designs found inside Potawatomi Gifts and for many promotional events for the shop and other Tribal enterprises.

In recent years, her work was recognized in a number of forums, including:

  • 2018 – NextGen Under 30
  • 2020 – First Place in Promotional Materials from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists
  • 2021 – Certified Digital Marketing Professional from the Digital Marketing Institute

Trey DeLonais – Graphic Artist

A CPN member from Ada, Oklahoma, DeLonais has largely been responsible for the Hownikan’s layout and page design since coming to the Nation as an employee in 2014. Piecing together a 20-24-page paper with more than a dozen different contributors on a monthly basis isn’t easy. Yet, the paper has won numerous Native American Journalism Awards for best design since this DeLonais family member came on board.

Some of these honors include:

  • 2017 – NextGen Under 30

Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists Awards 2021

  • Feature Page Layout and Design First Place – December 2020 Hownikan
  • Use of Graphic Illustration First Place – COVID Tips Infographic, March 2020 Hownikan
  • Best Newspaper Second Place – March 2020 Hownikan

Native American Journalists Association Awards 2019, 2020

  • General Excellence Print Publication Third Place Award (2020)
  • Best Layout Print Publication Third Place Award (2020)
  • Best Layout Print Publication First Place Award (2019)
  • General Excellence Print Publication First Place Award (2019)

Paige Willett – Writer and Podcast Producer

Willett came to the Hownikan from National Public Radio affiliate KGOU. This Mustang, Oklahoma, native pens articles that offer in-depth looks into the day-to-day lives and experiences of CPN members and employees.

The University of Oklahoma alum previously held an internship for the paper under late Hownikan editor Michael Dodson and is an alumnus of the Potawatomi Leadership Program. In 2019, this Toupin family descendant built on Dodson’s radio legacy with The Native American Speaks by creating the Hownikan Podcast.

In recent years, she’s won awards for her written and audio content, including:

  • 2019 – NextGen Under 30

Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists Awards 2020, 2021

  • Entertainment-Arts-Leisure Writing (2021)
    • First Place, Bootmaker finds artistry in tradition
    • Third Place, Woodland artists celebrate contemporary work at Jacobson House Native Art Center
  • Feature Writing Third Place Award for Jesses bring community together at J Bar Arena (2020)
  • Diversity Coverage Third Place Award for Language with Perrot (2020)
  • Entertainment Feature, Arts Criticism, Leisure Writing (2020)
    • Second Place Award for American-Chinese artist’s career and work inspired by Native culture (2020)
    • Third Place Award for Artist Susan Appier finds versatile medium in gourds (2020)
  • Sports Reporting Second Place Award for Potawatomi barrel racer places in the top 10 at Indian National Finals Rodeo (2020)

Native American Journalists Association Awards 2020

  • Radio/Podcast Best Feature Story Third Place Award for interview with Kristy Phillips, May 2019
  • Print/Online Best Elder Coverage Second Place Award for Language with Perrot

Mary Belle Zook – Writer and Marketing for Potawatomi Gifts

A Bourassa family descendant from Waynoka, Oklahoma, Zook is a graduate of Oklahoma State University’s agricultural communications program. Zook transitioned to her current role after a successful internship with the Public Information Department, with her writing for the paper in recent years focusing on cultural and historical topics. Her latest undertakings include monthly articles focused on the Tribe’s founding families.

In addition, she collaborates closely with Guleserian to grow Potawatomi Gifts’ online and marketing platforms. The enterprise’s continued improvement indicates the collaboration’s success.

Her dedication to her craft is reflected in recent awards and honors, including:

  • 2019 – NextGen Under 30
  • 2021 – Certified Digital Marketing Professional from the Digital Marketing Institute

Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists Awards 2019, 2020, 2021

  • Feature Writing First Place, Bourassa the reptile wrangler (2021)
  • Education Writing Second Place, Students and parents alike enjoy virtual STEM and Healthy Eats camps (2021)
  • STEM-Environmental Writing Third Place, Regenerative agriculture techniques improve Tribal land for generations to come (2021)
  • Entertainment Feature, Arts Criticism, Leisure Writing First Place Award for Citizen Potawatomi author seeks to define spiritual and ancestral identity in new book (2020)
  • Diversity Coverage Second Place Award for Heritage seed project helps decolonize Potawatomi food systems (2020)
  • Online Video Journalism Third Place Award for Seven Fires (2020)
  • Science, Tech, Health & Environmental Division Third Place Award for Cultural participation aids charge against youth suicide (2019)
  • Diversity Division Third Place Award for DNA testing, impacts across Indian Country (2019)

Native American Journalists Association Awards 2019

  • Feature/News Story Second Place Award for DNA testing, impacts across Indian Country (2019)

Garett Fisbeck – Photographer and Videographer

This citizen of the Cherokee Nation joined the staff in 2017, bringing his years of experience at The Dallas Morning News, The Oklahoman and Oklahoma Gazette to the paper’s visual offerings. In addition to award-winning photography in the Hownikan, the Blanchard, Oklahoma-raised Fisbeck ramped up video shoots on behalf of the Public Information Department and CPN’s Cultural Heritage Center. If you’ve seen a video on the CPN YouTube page or photos from FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival, you’ve seen his work.

His skill is reflected in the regional and national awards won in recent years, including:

  • 2019 – NextGen Under 30

Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists Awards 2020, 2021

  • General Photography Third Place for Flag Raising (2021)
  • General Photography First Place Award for Balloon Fest Wonder (2020)
  • Sports Photography First Place Award for Close Play (2020)

Native American Journalists Association Awards 2020

  • Best Sports Photo Second Place Award for Close Play
  • Best Feature Story Honorable Mention Recognition for Conservation Camp
  • Best Sports Photo Honorable Mention Recognition for Bench Warmers

Native American Journalists Association Awards 2019

  • Best Feature Photo Print Publications
    • First Place Award for Balloon Fest 2018
    • Third Place Award for Bill and Marty
  • Best Sports Photo Print Publication
    • First Place Award for OSSA Softball Championship
    • Second Place Award for OSSA Softball Championship
    • Third Place Award for Baseball Camp