During this episode, we’ll hear tips and tricks for keeping family heirlooms safe, take a ride on an exciting new piece of equipment for CPN’s industrial park, and visit an exhibit highlighting Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
May is Older Americans Month — a time to acknowledge the contributions of older individuals in their communities. The Hownikan interviewed two Citizen Potawatomi elders about their role in the community and their advice for the younger generations.
Our loved ones, and elders in particular, are targeted by phone, mail and computer scams more during the holidays than any other time of year. CPN Workforce Development & Social Services Safe and Stable Families Education Counselor Jamelle Payne writes about a scam awareness workshop WFSS held alongside CPNPD at the Tribe’s Elder Center in December 2022.
James “Jim” Thunder, Sr., a Potawatomi elder who was one of the few remaining native-speakers and helped lay the groundwork for current efforts to teach Bodéwadmimwen, has walked on. Thunder’s legacy covers not only the years he spent teaching the language but also the documentation he created and shared with Potawatomi everywhere, no matter where they lived. He laid the foundation for future generations to learn Potawatomi.
February 6 through 10 is Pride in Food Service Week, and the Hownikan talked to chefs, servers, kitchen staff and others who enjoy serving the public and find passion in food across the Nation’s programs and enterprises.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Housing Department Director M. Scott George spoke with the Hownikan about how the Housing Department focuses on ensuring CPN elders live in safe and healthy homes.
March is National Nutrition Month, and it presents the opportunity to reconsider what constitutes a healthy diet and bodily well-being on a wider level. The Hownikan spoke with CPN’s Women, Infants and Children program about advice and resources for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers; a Tribal member who, as a chef, works to offer nutritious foods in a restaurant setting; and the CPN Title VI Program, which offers elders options while meeting new nutritional needs that come with age.
During her time as coordinator of CPN’s Title VI and senior care program, RN Tami Fleeman has become a leader in her field. She offers guidance to several organizations in an effort to improve elder care across Oklahoma and Indian Country.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation serves Native American elders through numerous departments and programs, including Title VI, Workforce & Social Services and the CPN Housing Department.
Amongst many others who worked for the Nation before and after the landmark 1975 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Tribal elder Beverly Hughes witnessed the changes firsthand. Elected Secretary-Treasurer in 1970, she served on the five-person Business Council, then the Tribe’s governing body.