To highlight some of the CHC’s archival holdings, the Hownikan is featuring photographs and family history of every founding Citizen Potawatomi family. The LeClair family history can be traced back to Wisconsin and Illinois, through war, forced removals, and kinship ties with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, to present-day Pottawatomie County. Read more at cpn.news/leclair.
Through their early years in Potawatomi ancestral homelands in the north, a forced migration to Kansas and many challenges creating a new legacy in southern Pottawatomie County, the Lareau family drew upon their strength and resolve to persevere.
The roots of the Lafromboise family extend to present-day Chicago, Illinois, a history preserved through family stories and documentation that are now held at the CPN Cultural Heritage Center.
Bourbonnais-Tescier descendant Czarina Thompson began as a family history specialist at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center in 2005. Though the role has changed over the years as new technology and information becomes available, her attention to detail, extensive knowledge and love for helping Tribal members connect with their ancestors remain constant.
To highlight some of the CPN Cultural Heritage Center’s archival holdings, the Hownikan is featuring photographs and family history of every founding Citizen Potawatomi family. Records show a long legacy of public service in the Johnson family history.
To highlight some of the CHC’s archive’s holdings, the Hownikan is featuring photographs and family history of every founding Citizen Potawatomi family. This article traces the Smith family from an 1823 voter list from Michilimakinac County, Michigan, to the 1887 Oklahoma allotment roll.
From their humble roots in Ireland, the Slavin family forebears were among the many Irish immigrants who sought independence and stability in the United States. Together, with their Potawatomi relatives, they withstood numerous challenges to help establish a firm foundation for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Oklahoma.
The Nadeau family, from its beginnings in France, to its early years in Michigan, overcame unfathomable challenges in Kansas and Oklahoma. From these foundations, they have built a rich legacy for their descendants and generations yet to come.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center provides resources to keep the Tribe’s history safe and accessible for generations to come. One key way the Nation does this is through the CHC’s archives and video interviews. The Hownikan features histories of founding families each month. This article traces Wesley Lewis through freight hauling and service in the U.S. Army to his family’s impact on the establishment of present-day Wanette, Oklahoma.
The Hownikan features history of the Higbee family as a part of a series highlighting archival holdings on founding families.