As an economic force in central Oklahoma, Citizen Potawatomi Nation continued to contribute to the growth and sustainability of Oklahoma and its communities in 2021. A government report released earlier this year shows the Nation’s economic impact increased from $546 million in 2020 to $729 million in 2021 — a total of $183 million. Over the last 15 years, the numbers show an expansion of $350 million.
Navarre family descendant Carson Capps just completed his term as a state officer with the Oklahoma FFA. As one of eight state officers, he represented the interests of more than 28,000 FFA members across the state. He values the leadership opportunities, career possibilities and support system he has found through the FFA.
On June 17, 2022, Citizen Potawatomi Nation and the Dunbar Heights Community of Shawnee, Oklahoma, held a VIP reception in honor of Juneteenth. The partnership works to acknowledge the historical ties between Native tribes and slavery, repair the historical divides between Native American and Black communities, and pave the way toward a more just and equitable future.
As a high school senior, Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member Shelby O’Steen received the Jim Thorpe High School Volleyball Player of the Year award from the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in June 2022. The Bright Path Program recognizes the top high school athletes from across the state for their athletic and academic prowess.
Meet the Lopez family, who recently moved into their ‘forever’ home thanks to the help of the CPN Housing Department’s lease to purchase program.
Following a series of severe storms in southeastern Oklahoma this May, CPN’s Emergency Management, FireLake Discount Foods, Health Services, Workforce Development and Social Services, and Grand Casino Hotel & Resort all mobilized to partner with nonprofit aid groups and the affected communities to respond to the disaster.
In celebration of Earth Day, central Oklahoma’s Pioneer Library System hosted a community event focused on pollinators at Boy Scout Park in Shawnee. Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member and PLS programming specialist Britt Muirhead organized the family activities; they included a meet-and-greet with the author and a presentation from Okies for Monarchs, an initiative to create and implement the Statewide Monarch Conservation Plan.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services hosted a community overdose awareness event in May 2022 to increase the public’s understanding of the recent uptick in fentanyl overdoses, sometimes referred to as “the silent crisis.” CPNHS and event organizers welcomed approximately 10 groups and resource centers to discuss fentanyl overdoses as well as addiction treatment, therapy, preventative action during fentanyl overdoses and more.
This episode focuses on Behavioral Health Awareness Month and the societal stigma of having behavioral health issues. We also meet the only Citizen Potawatomi Nation member serving in the Oklahoma legislature and hear about a study on tribal economic impact in Oklahoma.
With her attention always on the needs of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and its members, Margaret Zientek has already hit the ground running as the new Workforce and Social Services department director. She spoke with the Hownikan about her work with Workforce programs and advocacy at the federal level to improve them, as well as her involvement with the Potawatomi Leadership Program.