Citizen Potawatomi Nation partnered with Oklahoma Gas & Electric to weatherize homes for Tribal elders in November.
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.
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.
Each year, AARP awards Native American elders for their contributions to the improvement of their tribes and communities. Citizen Potawatomi Nation member and Emergency Management Department Director Tim Zientek was chosen in 2021 as one of 47 elders recognized for his “achievements, community service and impact,” according to the organization.
During this episode, we visit with an author about her new book that tells stories from a Tribal elder’s childhood, a domestic violence prevention specialist about National Stalking Awareness Month and a historian about the 155th anniversary of the last treaty CPN signed with the federal government.
Barb Smith noticed the need for some colorful, pretty lap robes at the CPN Elder Village in Rossville, Kansas in April. The wheels started turning, and she enlisted the help of Felicia Brown to join her in making some new ones for the facility. As of mid-September, they had made 110.
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.
According to a study published in 2016, American Indian and Alaska Native elders have higher Dementia incidence rates than their Latino, Pacific Islander, white and Asian American peers, with 22 cases for every 1,000 elders.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation offers many services elders utilize to stay full of life and free of pain, and Healthy Aging Month provides an opportunity to learn how to maintain an active lifestyle and independence.