The Darling family’s Potawatomi ties began with the marriage of Elizabeth Ouilmette and Lucius (Louis) Ripley Darling in 1836. Darling descendants have gone on to serve in the military, establish businesses, become talented athletes and more.
In February 1996, Citizen Potawatomi from across the United States cast their votes during a special secretarial election to reflect the Tribe’s sovereignty as a tribal nation by officially changing its name from the Citizen Band Potawatomi Tribe of Oklahoma to the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
The Connect Association, which recognizes event and meeting planners nationwide, recently named CPN member and Anderson family descendant Kristen Vencl as one of its 40 Under 40 for 2020.
Whether it’s employing tens of thousands of Oklahomans, providing law enforcement in rural communities, or bringing in federal funds to pay for road paving, Oklahoma’s tribal nations contribute greatly to our shared communities.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member Omar Rana crafted an educational presentation on the Indian Child Welfare Act in fall 2020 that eventually became an official continuing education program for his fellow colleagues at the Legal Aid Society of New York City.
Read about what the language department has been working on so far in 20201, including a new cartoon, new posters, this year’s storytelling event and more.
February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month, and bringing the issues that often remain in the dark into the light provides the opportunity to stop cycles of harm. Citizen Potawatomi Nation House of Hope Prevention Specialist Kayla Woody believes education is the best tool.
Based on current climate models, CPN member and geophysics student Jacob Pratt estimates the arctic will see ice-free summers by 2035 due to rising global temperatures. With advances in remote sensing data, he is working on new methods to identify bottomfast sea ice.
Among the big surprises of 2020 was a nationwide surge in housing sales. Low interest rates pushed those looking to snap up available properties at a breakneck speed. This mostly affected metropolitan areas, and CPN’s Housing Department noticed the change across the country.
In 2020, Shop with a Cop raised more than $13,500 with the help of 16 organizations, including Citizen Potawatomi Nation and many local nonprofits, businesses and entrepreneurs. The generous donations provided enough to give more than 130 participants money for gifts.