Construction on the new Citizen Potawatomi Nation Tribal columbarium has been completed, giving Tribal members the option to choose Tribal grounds as their final resting place.

The announcement was made at the 2024 Family Reunion Festival during the Saturday General Council meeting by CPN Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett and Vice-Chairman Linda Capps.

A columbarium is an above-ground structure that holds the remains of individuals who have chosen cremation.

The structure was designed in the shape of a prayer circle and includes the colors of the four directions and invokes the blessings of the seven prayers, Barrett noted.

“We can accommodate traditional Potawatomi services, military services or Christian services. Memorial plaques can even be designed to denote military service,” Barrett said.

Capps said the site includes 400 niches that can each hold up to two sets of ashes. It is located at 4 Dr. Leon Combs Drive, near Shawnee, Oklahoma.

The columbarium, or jibéwgemek, meaning place of spirits, is located next to the former Shawnee Friends Mission church building that was established in the 1870s by Quaker missionaries and is now used for Tribal services.

The current columbarium will likely be full within a short amount of time, Capps said. Experts predict U.S. cremation rates to reach nearly 80 percent by the year 2040.

“We are prepared to possibly add several more (structures) in the space. Many hometown cemeteries are filling up. The columbarium is expected to become more in demand in the future,” Capps said.

Earlier this year, a laser cutting machine was purchased to engrave the granite faceplates of each niche. The faceplates are engraved with the name or names of those who are inurned in that location.

CPN Public Information Director Kent Bush and Senior Graphic Designer Trey DeLonais researched and selected the laser and associated software. DeLonais has been engraving the faceplates and assisting with installation.

“Trey has been such a blessing. He really stepped up to the plate,” Capps told Tribal members at General Council.

Engraving the niches at CPN is more economical, Bush said. The laser is also used for other projects that involve engraving or cutting designs, graphics and text on a wide range of items like granite, wood, fabric and paper.

Completing the engraving in-house will save CPN thousands of dollars annually, Bush added.

Funds for the columbarium’s design and construction were approved in the 2023 Tribal budget. The American Rescue Plan Act was a significant source of funding, Capps said.

Barrett said the Nation will create a permanent fund for the columbarium’s maintenance and upkeep.

Guidelines for applications

A few guidelines have been established for those who wish to apply for a columbarium niche. The application is not intended to reserve a spot for future use but submitted only upon the death of a Tribal member or their loved one.

Completed applications should be submitted to CPN Tribal Rolls, which will verify enrollment. While each niche may hold the cremated remains of up to two urns, at least one applicant must be an enrolled member of CPN.

The niche location will be assigned as the cremated remains are received.

Once the confirmation process is completed, a copy of the application will be provided to CPN Public Information Department for engraving purposes.