Following a two-year collaboration, a Kansas public art project was dedicated to the
remembrance of the Potawatomi Trail of Death.

Officials from CPN joined leaders from the Johnson County Park and Recreation Department to unveil Fire Keepers Circle on July 19 in Olathe, Kansas.

The sculpture is located near where the Potawatomi Trail of Death crossed Kansas. Artist Aaron Squadroni spoke about the inspiration behind the design. Squadroni’s creative partner, artist Leah Yellowbird (First Nations Algonquin-Métis and Anishinaabe), also worked on Fire Keepers Circle. Yellowbird walked on in April 2025, but Squadroni said her vibrant personality and warm spirit live on through her work.

Representing CPN were Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett, Vice-Chairman Linda Capps and District 4 Legislator Jon Boursaw. CPN musician and songwriter Elexa Dawson performed “The Ones We Left Behind,” a song she had written specially for the occasion.

“I couldn’t help but imagine what it was like for the people that were here back then. What it was like to walk across this ground, when it wasn’t cleared and there weren’t roads. It must have been a difficult journey. All these remembrances along the Trail of Death remind us of the price they paid in order to get us to where we are today,” Barrett said.

“I think it’s wonderful that our Potawatomi people are here today to recognize this monument and the beauty it represents, and what it represents to our people, we that
have relatives that were on the Trail of Death. It is a great thing that we can come and look at this,” Capps said.

Officials from Johnson County included JCPRD Executive Director Jeff Stewart, JCPRD Board Chair Leslee Rivarola, Board of County Commissioners Chairman Mike Kelly and JCPRD Superintendent of Culture Susan Mong.

A historical panel accompanies the art, to explain the story behind the 1838 Trail of Death. The panel was created with the assistance of the CPN Cultural Heritage Center.

Kelly affirmed Johnson County’s commitment to sharing history, even if it is difficult.

“A lot of times that is not an easy conversation. A lot of times it’s recognizing the pain, recognizing the injustice, but also recognizing resilience. And to be intentional about that in today’s world is sometimes hard. To be cast aside, to be threatened by removing funding for recognizing the diversity in our community, for being intentional,” he said. “Making sure that the services we provide in the community we want to build is inclusive of everyone is something that is very meaningful and important and will continue to be protected here in Johnson County.”

Meaningful collaboration

Fire Keepers Circle is made of painted wood, concrete and steel and evokes a blanket encircling the space within. Each layer of the blanket represents spiritual, ancestral and contemporary culture. Feathers crafted in metal include designs contributed by Tribal members. Yellowbird told the Hownikan in 2024 that she envisioned a place of reflection.

Tribal member Angela Montgomery was on the committee that evaluated 11 entries and helped select the winner. During the dedication ceremony, she gave the opening prayer in both Bodéwadmimwen and English. Two of her great-grandfathers were on the 1838 Trail of Death.

Montgomery had participated in the 2023 Trail caravan. Shortly after, officials with Johnson County asked her to join the planning committee.

“I think this is the most beautiful marker along the way and that’s not all it’s about. I love that it’s here in this busy place and that people who aren’t here to see this, who don’t know anything about it will bump into it and be educated about something they didn’t know,” she said.

Montgomery said offering her prayer in Bodéwadmimwen was deeply meaningful.

“The first time I heard our language spoken, it gave me goosebumps. And it’s just very moving, so I wanted to be able to do that and just put it in the air for other people to hear and for our ancestors to hear,” she said.

Mong worked with the selection committee and helped Squadroni and Yellowbird coordinate the installation of the work. During the dedication, she received a Pendleton blanket from Barrett and Capps and tobacco, cedar, sage and sweetgrass from Boursaw.

“I’m overwhelmed at the friendship and the openness. I’m also grieving a little bit that Leah’s not with us. But the highlight for me today was seeing families walk in and find the feather that they designed and how they reacted to seeing that and being a part of this piece,” she said. “It’s also been great to see how many park patrons came to this event because they were able to watch Aaron and his team do the install. Now they really feel connected and part of the story. The thousands of people that come here will connect to the story of the Potawatomi people.”

Mong said the experience shows how building a respectful relationship is critical to completing a project like Fire Keepers Circle.

“It was in 2023 that we sat down together for the first time and there was a whole year of learning. I had the great honor of attending the Family Reunion (Festival) last summer and visiting the Cultural (Heritage) Center,” she said. “All those things were important before the artwork was even discussed. That relationship building, that listening and understanding was critical. I think for those that don’t take time to do that, they’re missing out. The beauty has been the relationships.”

Mong hopes this project will encourage other government entities to collaborate with local tribes.

“Maybe this will be the start of something that will happen, and I hope it is,” she said. “Maybe this is something that can be emulated because I hope this inspires others. So,
let’s hope this is the beginning.”

Fire Keepers Circle is located at 16050 Pflumm Rd., Olathe, Kansas. Visit the Johnson
County Arts and Heritage Center’s website to learn more about the project.