Regalia ideas and assistance available at Cultural Heritage Center

During the Family Reunion Festival, Powwow Arena Director Coby Lehman instructs participants on proper etiquette and what is acceptable to wear inside the arena. Lehman often passes out pamphlets that thoroughly explain proper powwow attire. While trying to adhere to these standards may seem daunting, the Cultural Heritage Center and FireLake Gift Shop can provide Read More »

Incorporating Potawatomi culture into every day

  As the Citizen Potawatomi Nation has grown in recent years, concerns about Potawatomi traditions and practices have come to the forefront in many conversations amongst Tribal members. Though many traditions are passed down from family elders, those living twenty first century lifestyles may feel like it’s a difficult task to adhere to practices developed Read More »

Language with Justin – March 2015

Bozho Jayek, It’s an exciting time in the language department. We are working hard on a self-paced online language course. The idea behind the course is that a person will be able to access the course anywhere in the world at any time they want to learn Potawatomi. As part of the class there are Read More »

Language with Justin: February 2015

 We have many upcoming events in the language department to talk about as we push towards spring after a cold Oklahoma winter. First off, the development of our self-paced language online class is coming along well. We are still anticipating a summer 2015 opening. The class will have 40 topics organized with 10 lessons in Read More »

As winter approaches, stay warm inside with some Potawatomi reading

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 »

Language with Justin, June 2014

Festival is right around the corner and by the time you receive this edition it will be here. First I would like to share some of the exciting accomplishments of the CPN Child Development Center children who are taught by the Language Instructor Randy Schlachtun. We are very proud of Randy and the kids’ accomplishments Read More »

Cultural Heritage Center update

It was the flood no one saw coming. Surveillance video from inside the Long Room at the Cultural Heritage Center shows the floor rising in a dome shape.Within an hour, several inches of water came seeping through the concrete base and out the opened doors. Several months have passed since the eerie day that left Read More »

CPN artist Penny Coates illustrates her heritage through art

The famed Potawatomi artist Woody Crumbo depicted his life in the American southwest through paintings of intricately detailed horses, personal portraits and landscapes. Crumbo has etched his way into Potawatomi history through his art. Another Potawatomi artist following in Crumbo’s footsteps is Penny Coates. Born and raised in Shawnee, Okla., at a young age Coates Read More »