Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center (CHC) is rich with culture, tradition and history.

The Hownikan spoke with four CHC staff members to learn more about the impact they have within the Nation. Spring Cleveland is a manager in the Tribal enrollment department. Keisha Lindsay is the CHC assistant director. Czarina Thompson is the Elders First program coordinator in the Cultural Development Department. Robert Collins is the interdepartmental Potawatomi language lead in the Cultural Development Department.

Spring Cleveland
Tribal enrollment manager

Spring Cleveland is the Tribal enrollment manager at the CHC. She oversees the management and integrity of the official Tribal membership rolls.

“During my day-to-day operations, I supervise and train enrollment staff, delegate tasks and ensure that the department functions professionally, efficiently and with the utmost respect for confidentiality and accuracy,” Cleveland said.

Cleveland ensures compliance with Tribal and applicable federal laws, manages enrollment ID issuance, and safeguards membership records. She prepares reports for Tribal Council, analyzes enrollment trends and offers strategic recommendations. She also assists members with genealogy research and provides customer service related to enrollment inquiries.

Cleveland has worked for CPN for 26 years, with the past 14 years being dedicated to the enrollment department.

“There is much to love about being the Tribal enrollment manager,” Cleveland said. “This role allows me to actively support Tribal sovereignty, preserve our cultural identity and strengthen our Tribal community.”

Cleveland takes pride in upholding high ethical standards and representing the Tribe with integrity.

“Knowing that our work benefits not only current members but also future generations makes this role especially meaningful,” she said.

Keisha Lindsay
CHC assistant director

Keisha Lindsay is the assistant director at the CHC. She assists Director of Cultural Development Blake Norton and oversees administrative operations and facility management, among many other day-to-day duties that keep the CHC running smoothly.

Lindsay has worked for CPN for over 12 years with more than eight of those years spent at the CHC. She is passionate about her work and the community she serves.

“I love being able to work for my Tribe and coming to work every day to a great staff,” she said.

Lindsay’s leadership and dedication contribute to the CHC’s impact on the community.

Czarina Thompson
Elders First program coordinator

Czarina Thompson is the Elders First program coordinator. She leads cultural classes such as sewing, beading, leather work, weaving, food sovereignty and soap-making.

“I try to always provide cultural significance and history to the project we are doing. Our classes create a place of community and learning, providing connection between the class participants as well as a connection to their ancestors’ cultural knowledge,” Thompson told the Hownikan.

Thompson began working at the CHC 20 years ago. She enjoys the meaningful connections that leading cultural classes offers, the challenge of learning new skills, and researching her ancestors’ lifeways to share in her classes.

Thompson said, “I also enjoy the awesome people who come to our classes. I have built great friendships with many of the participants. The cultural classes have built connections and provided such wonderful community connections!”

Her favorite part about leading cultural classes is connecting Tribal members to their ancestors.

“We need to feel connected, and when I see that light come on in someone’s eyes, it is such a blessing,” she said.

She finds joy seeing participants gain a sense of accomplishment when they complete a project to their satisfaction or when they feel the confidence to help fellow participants. She believes these moments take the class experience beyond working on a project; they provide an opportunity to connect with wonderful people.

Robert Collins
Interdepartmental Potawatomi language lead

Robert Collins serves as the CHC’s interdepartmental Potawatomi language lead. He creates and instructs preK-12 curricula at CPN’s child development centers, after school program, community classes, and offers courses at seven national universities and colleges. Collins also develops community-focused initiatives with the Cultural Development Department and partnering departments throughout the Nation.

He has worked for the Nation since 2018 and at the CHC since 2019.

“I take great joy in revitalizing Potawatomi culture because it represents an act of cultural survival, healing and empowerment,” he said.

Collins shared with the Hownikan that his work is helping to restore identity and pride across generations. He asserts sovereignty through language, builds deep relationships through immersive teaching, and preserves the Potawatomi worldview and history as a living archive.

“I live by my values — equity, heritage and community,” he said. “This work is sacred to me; it is an essential part of who I am.”

Find the Cultural Heritage Center online at potawatomiheritage.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/cpnculturalheritage.