After decades of turmoil in Kansas, Citizen Potawatomi leaders began planning for the Tribe to start anew. Although the Treaty of 1861 provided Tribal members U.S. citizenship and land allotments in Kansas, the federal government did not honor the treaty’s terms. As a result, many Citizen Potawatomi lost everything. The CPN Cultural Heritage Center’s gallery Read More »
Amidst an era of increased expansion by non-Native settlers into the United States’ western frontiers, a single piece of legislation codified federal policy on the topic of removing tribal people from their lands. On May 28, 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act into law. This legislation authorized the federal government to forcibly Read More »
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center’s treaty gallery features several documents that defined Tribal relationships with the government, including peace, reservation and removal treaties. The Potawatomi signed 44 treaties with the federal government, more than any other tribe. “The treaties help illustrate that Potawatomi groups were autonomous in the Great Lakes region, but that Read More »
Tribal members and families can experience the recently renovated Cultural Heritage Center during Family Reunion Festival 2018. In January, the CHC wrapped up nearly four years of renovations and revealed 11 new exhibits. Each section takes visitors through Potawatomi historical eras starting with pre-European contact through the 21st century. “If you are a Tribal member Read More »
Before French explorer Jean Nicolet introduced colonialism to the Potawatomi in the 17th century, its society interlaced a respect for nature, an emphasis on community and a thankfulness for the gifts and knowledge bestowed upon the people by the Creator into daily life. CHC’s third exhibit highlights the balance once held between the Potawatomi, the Read More »
The Cultural Heritage Center’s vast basketry collection inspired the creation of a limited line of commemorative dinnerware pieces available for purchase through the CHC’s gift shop. “Rather than highlighting one individual, we wanted to highlight the styles and techniques that are really quintessential to Potawatomi people,” said CHC Director Kelli Mosteller. “They represent not just Read More »
For thousands of years, generations of Potawatomi preserved history and culture through spoken language and the art of oral traditions. Stories and interactive video in the second exhibit at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center highlight narratives that record Potawatomi beliefs, culture, history and early way of life. “This is our Origins Gallery, because Read More »
As temperatures drop and people head back inside, the opportunity to learn more about the Tribe shouldn’t be lost until the next powwow season. Books by Potawatomi authors and chronicles of the Tribe’s history are available to Tribal members, both in the CPN jurisdiction and across the nation. CPN Cultural Heritage Center Curator and Archivist Read More »