During this episode, we’ll spend time on a Tribal member’s family farm, talk with two Tribal elders for Older Americans Month and check in with FireLake Wellness Center on how they improve CPN employees’ health with a holistic approach.
Lively Hope Farm is ready for the future
Hownikan Podcast recently spent a windy Saturday out at a Tribal member’s farm in northeastern Oklahoma. The Pappan family descendants, Will, Sarah and Hope Pappan, spent the morning feeding their animals and discussing the legacy of their new venture founded in 2019.
“I was I was born here, basically on this farm,” Will said. “I’ve always had it in my mind that this is what I want to do. Life just changes a lot a lot of times and you don’t get to do what you want to do.”
They plan to eventually have a hay business, a nursery, increase their Muscovy duck population, and expand their business into soaps, lotions and other products from goats’ milk. Find Lively Hope Farm on Facebook and online at livelyhopefarm.com.
Elders share perspectives for Older Americans Month
May is Older Americans Month — a time to acknowledge the contributions of older individuals in their communities. Hownikan Podcast interviewed two Citizen Potawatomi elders about their role in the community and their advice for the younger generations.
Lyman Boursaw, 90 years old, served in the Army in the Korean War and now assists other elders as the regional housing manager for CPN elder housing in Rossville, Kansas. As a member of the CPN Veterans Organization, he also carried the eagle staff into the powwow circle as part of Grand Entry for years.
“It was an honor — quite an honor,” he said. “But I can’t make that many trips around the ceremony circle anymore. Last year, we did an abbreviated color guard, and this year, I think I’ll just have to watch.”
George Godfrey, 80 years old, has been handmaking his own traditional regalia and dancing for decades. He has taught a new generation of Tribal members about Potawatomi culture and what it means to be in the powwow circle.
“I want to reflect only what is really historically Potawatomi because I use it as an educational venture as much as anything,” he said.
You can see more about Godfrey and his regalia in CPN member Sharon Hoogstraten’s book, Dancing for Our Tribe: Potawatomi Tradition in the New Millennium.
To learn more about the CPN Veterans Organization, visit cpn.news/CPNVeterans.
Wellness Center offers employees holistic health
Citizen Potawatomi Nation offers employees and Tribal members numerous health and wellness options through its health care system and other services – including the FireLake Wellness Center. Hownikan reporter Mary Leaver spoke to FLWC Director Leslie Cooper about why the wellness center is a great gym, but also offers so much more.
“When you exercise, it increases blood flow, (which helps) your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. It’s going to take oxygen to the muscle tissue to help relieve any type of muscle soreness that you might get. The more physically active you are, the more you increase the blood flow through your whole entire body, which is going to send extra oxygen and nutrients to the rest of the muscle tissue,” Cooper said.
FireLake Wellness Center is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.ma. to noon. Find out more at cpn.news/FLWC.
Hownikan Podcast is produced and distributed by Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Public Information Department. Subscribe to Hownikan Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and wherever you find your favorite shows. Find digital editions of the Tribal newspaper here.