Shelley Johnson has been an assistant teacher at Citizen Potawatomi Nation Child Development Center for more than a decade. When she was hired, she began working in the infant room, but now teaches the three-year-olds alongside two master teachers. In July 2016, Johnson was diagnosed with breast cancer that spread to her lymph nodes. Shortly after, she underwent surgery to remove the tumor and started her first Read More »

The year 2016 was another important year full of growth and triumphs, from events, charitable giving and several awards. The following photographs act as a vehicle to take you through some of the best times in 2016.  January February March April May June July August   September   October    November   December

Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s integrated resource management plan focuses on how the tribe manages its land, water, minerals and natural environments to sustain these resources for future generations. Tribal Conservation Law Enforcement Officer Eric Reed is an integral part of this plan’s implementation, serving as a combined law enforcement officer, game warden and conservationist for CPN properties. These holdings, strewn across parts of Pottawatomie, Cleveland and Oklahoma counties, all Read More »

The holiday season is a time of giving and receiving. Many Citizen Potawatomi Nation enterprises and employees gave to local community members and organizations, serving them in their time of need during Thanksgiving and Christmas 2016.  In November, CPN employees raised more than $1,300 during the annual silent auction to assist a tribal family that accrued extensive medical expenses in 2016. Employees were asked to Read More »

There are 140,000 living Indigenous veterans in the United States today and 31,000 active Native American soldiers. Although tribal members serve in larger numbers than all other ethnicities, there is no place to honor this service nationally. The United States Congress has authorized the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian to build a national Native American veterans memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Read More »

The extremely mild fall, almost a continuation of late summer temperatures into November, have given the renovation of FireLake Golf Course a boost. “We’ve been done with construction for a few months,” said FireLake Golf Course Director Chris Chesser. “From now on, we’re in ‘grow in’ mode, letting our sod and grass grow in before the temperatures drop too much. Unfortunately Bermuda’s growing season is pretty Read More »

The CPN Department of Education received its first grant from the Office of Indian Education this fall. The Native Youth Community Project Competition is a highly competitive granting process focused on college and career readiness for middle and high school students. Employees in the departments of education and self-governance put together a project called the Wzhitawen College and Career Readiness Program, which won more than $650,000 over Read More »

Despite the 2013 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, domestic violence continues to plague tribal people across the U.S.  A May 2016 report from the U.S. Department of Justice reported startling numbers; 84 percent of Native American and Alaskan Native women have experienced violence, while another 46 have experienced sexual violence. Of the more than 2,000 Native women surveyed in the report, 90 percent experienced Read More »

More than 32,000 Citizen Potawatomi live in countries around the world, each leaving their own unique footprint. One such individual, Brandon Savory, is nearing his second year in such a journey as he sails around the world with two friends and a “cat sized dog” on a vessel named Cool Change. The Hownikan caught up with Savory as he was nearing the Amazon River in South Read More »

Many Americans are familiar with the symbolism of the American flag, the thirteen red and white stripes standing for the original 13 colonies and the white stars on a field of blue symbolizing the 50 states in the union. The Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s seal has its own particular symbolism, with each piece standing for a significant piece of Potawatomi heritage and history. Originally the Potawatomi were part Read More »