What started out as an after-school club for students has grown into a movement impacting a local high school and the environment as well.  Bethel High School’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Club, or STEM club, started out with a $500 contribution from Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The students and advisers for the club have since turned that into more than $20,000 in grants and scholarships Read More »

As part of Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s preventative wellness efforts for tribal members and employees are annual fitness competitions held at FireLake Wellness Center. Typically coinciding with events like the men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament or other high profile events, employees take on a fitness challenge at FireLake Wellness Center under the supervision of the personal trainers and staff there. On treadmills, ellipticals or walking the second story track, employees compete Read More »

Native American people have been ‘organic’ gardening from the start. In the past, there were no greenhouses or feed stores to pick up extra plants, so it was important to learn how to effectively produce crops for their families. Traditions and seeds are still being handed down from older generations and managed with great care. Recently, there has been an increase in Natives across the Read More »

Joshua Nelson remembers visiting his uncle’s home as a kid and seeing American Indians on TV. Sometimes they were the real deal — actual Native American actors. Other times they were white faces hiding behind red paint. Either way, they would catch a bullet courtesy of John Wayne more often than not. Still, the OU interim director of film and media studies wonders what it Read More »

Last spring, the CPN Department of Education partnered with the CPN Public Information Department and FireLake Designs to develop a Citizen Potawatomi graduation stole for the first class of graduates receiving the Tribal Development Scholarship at St. Gregory’s University. After a picture of the SGU graduates wearing the stoles was featured in the Hownikan, we received several requests to purchase a stole to wear at a graduation Read More »

In a state where prison overcrowding has become an economic, criminal justice and political issue, the pendulum has swung in recent years as Oklahoma policy makers seek to halt overcrowding at state prisons. In December 2016, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Joe M. Allbaugh put it bluntly saying “We are beyond the tipping point. The staff and the public are at risk every day when we Read More »

Pottawatomie County’s oldest radio station, KGFF, has had a lot of milestones since it first went on the airwaves in 1930. It’s most recent significant event was the September 2016 expansion to an FM band station, making KGFF available at 100.9 FM and 1450 AM. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai commented on the change, noting that more than 1,000 stations acquired FM translators in the Read More »

With Vice-Chairman Linda Capps and Director of Economic Development and Planning James C. Collard Ph.D. standing alongside, Citizen Potawatomi Nation Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett signed what he termed “a historic piece of the tribe’s commercial history” into effect on March 8, 2017. Iron Horse TransLoad Company LLC will provide peace of mind, with a solid legal structure, for potential customers and investors who work at the Read More »

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — In an effort to strengthen the connection to and gain insight from the Native American community, Indiana University is establishing the First Nations Leadership Ambassadors Council. This initiative will create an ongoing dialogue with IU and a council of six individuals who care deeply about the Native community: Ben Barnes, Read More »

Bozho, There are a lot of changes going on this year with the CPN Veterans Organization. We have a new team leader for our Color Guard, Derek Skaggs. He was trained by Herb Holton who has built our color guard to the high standard it is today. I believe Derek is up to the challenge.  How many of you veterans out there have registered Read More »