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.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center’s revamped website features six state-of-the-art components that help connect Citizen Potawatomi to their heritage, including an online encyclopedia, family manuscripts, archives and genealogical research platform.
Learn how to conduct Potawatomi research, build family trees and more through the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center’s Mezodanek platform on May 19 from 3 to 4 p.m. Join the virtual, Zoom event by registering here. Please note, the Mezodanek platform is not accessible until May 2021.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation member and psychologist Sue Hobbs, Ph.D felt the stress of quarantine in spring 2020 but felt compelled to contribute to the global situation in a positive way.
Many Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal members seek to learn more about their Native American heritage and family trees, and numerous on and offline resources exist to aid in the process.
Assimilation into Western culture caused many Nishnabé names to disappear and naming ceremonies have become less frequent. As Tribal members return to their Indigenous roots, more seek out these links to their family history.