I only have a brief article this month, as I wanted to provide everyone a primer on some Potawatomi questions and answers. Remember, if you’d like to learn the language at your own pace, visit our online courses for adults and children at language.potawatomi.org. Bodéwadmimwen Kedwnen – Potawatomi language phrases Ni je ngom zagech? – How is the weather? (How is today outside?) (Nee juh nGome Read More »

Slavin family descendent Elan Pochedley was a student in the Potawatomi Leadership Program in 2012. Since then, he has used the information he learned to gain internships and support Native American interests. Pochedley, who graduated as a PLP one year after his sister Lakota went through the program, answered the following questions about how the program impacted his life. Why did you choose to do Read More »

In recognition of November as National Adoption Month, we spoke to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Indian Child Welfare Department’s specialist in charge of foster care and adoptions on the issues she sees families face in taking on these vital responsibilities. Due to high profile adoptions like the Baby Veronica and Lexi Page cases, concerns and misunderstandings about the adoption of children with tribal heritage abound. Due Read More »

This fall, the CPN Department of Education administered the first CPN Tribal Scholarship, a consolidated version of what was previously the tribal rolls, housing and higher education scholarships. In addition, we managed the transition from a paper application to an online one in an effort to streamline the process. Over the past several months, we have had the pleasure of speaking with many of you Read More »

In November 1861, a treaty signed by the U.S. government and Potawatomi tribal members officially established the Native Americans as a politically distinct tribe. This year marks the 155th anniversary of that designation. “This is our origin story,” CPN Cultural Heritage Center Director Kelli Mosteller, Ph.D., said. “The census that followed that treaty is where we get our tribal rolls now.” The federal government approached the Read More »

The Citizen Potawatomi Gift Shop sells a variety of crafts and art from Native American artists. One of those craftsmen is Bergeron family descendant Sam Upton, who is a talented wood turner. “I started woodturning when I retired about 10 years ago,” Upton said. “I started doing ink pens, then bows, platters and hollow forms, which are much more of a challenge. I like to Read More »

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Tribal Legislature met in September 2016 with all legislators in attendance. Resolutions concerning the body’s previous meeting minutes and rescheduling the quarterly meeting from August 25 to September 22 were both approved. In preparation of the 2017 tribal election season, the legislature confirmed the appointment of the CPN Election Committee and designation of Gary Bourbonnais as committee chairman. The legislators also appointed Citizen Read More »

In November, the tribal youth will celebrate Native American Heritage Month by learning about Native American singing, pottery and drumming from a number of different tribes. The tribal youth will also enjoy traditional Native American foods such as corn soup, Indian tacos, poyha and wild rice with chicken. The tribal youth are planning their annual Thanksgiving community dinner feed for 200 youth and adults. Get Smart Program: Read More »

Suicide rates among Native American youth and young adults are 1.5 times higher than the national average according to the latest statistics from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Within this age group, Native Americans experienced the highest rate of suicide, at a staggering 21.2 percent. There was also a 50 perce6nt increase in mental health and substance abuse treatment among Native youth in the last Read More »

In Oklahoma, the epicenter of the Dust Bowl, the possibility of a drought never seems too far off. Though currently in a mild state of drought, policy makers at the local, state and tribal level have renewed their focuses on improving water conservation efforts before the water spouts run dry.  In 2010, Citizen Potawatomi Nation adopted an integrated resources management plan aimed at preserving its natural, Read More »