Leading plant ecologist and author named MacArthur Fellow

Best known for her 2013 book Braiding Sweetgrass, Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a plant ecologist, educator and writer. Dr. Kimmerer was named as a MacArthur Fellow in 2022, and hopes to use the fellowship to work on her next book.

Skin Deep: Potawatomi artist adds Indigenous flair to tattoos

Indigenous cultures across the globe have used tattoos as status symbols, to represent religious beliefs or just for adornment. One Potawatomi artist proud to share her spin on Indigenous tattoo art is Shelly Wahweotten, an enrolled citizen of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and owner of Analog Electric Tattoos in Oklahoma City.

Dr. Andrew Mock selected for Oklahoma Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list

In April, HP Engineering, Inc. announced that its Vice President and Regional Engineering Director Dr. Andrew Mock, PhD, PE, SE, was selected as a 2023 Oklahoma Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree for his contributions as a leader in the architecture, engineering and construction industry.

Tribal member welcomed home after Super Bowl win

Kansas City Chiefs starting center Creed Humphrey, a Citizen Potawatomi tribal member, received a warm welcome to his hometown of Shawnee, Oklahoma. Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett began the event with a blessing, smoking Humphrey off with sweetgrass, cedar, sage and tobacco. Shawnee Mayor Ed Bolt read a proclamation, naming March 4, 2023, as Creed Humphrey Day. Bolt then presented Humphrey with a key to the city of Shawnee.

Kansas CPN veterans receive handmade quilts

A quilting group based in Linwood, Kansas, recently presented Citizen Potawatomi Nation veterans with handmade quilts to honor the veterans’ military service. Peggy Pistora, Navarre family descendant, is a member of the Linwood Community Library’s Quilts for Veterans group. She helped organize the Oct. 8, 2022, quilt presentation at the Rossville, Kansas, CPN community meeting.

Tribal citizen serves Indian Country through business

Tribal member Karla Bylund started her own business six years ago, offering a wide variety of human resources services to Tribal governments and enterprises. Soaring Bird Solutions offers expertise in recruiting, crafting policy and procedure, handling employee investigations or grievances, employee training and development, compensation studies and strategic planning.

Q&A with Ojibwe artist Andrea Carlson

Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Chicago-based artist Andrea Carlson made a splash in 2021 when her piece “You are on Potawatomi Land” was installed along the RiverWalk in downtown Chicago.

Tribal member connects students to science, nature

Teresa Hernandez may not have planned to have her own science education business, but she is now the proud owner of Adventures in Living Science and enthusiastic about sharing her knowledge with area students. A scholarship from the CPN Department of Education helped Hernandez in her path to business ownership.

Tribal member strengthens career devoted to Indian child welfare

After 10 years working in foster care and adoption for tribal Indian Child Welfare departments, Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member Kendra Lowden accepted a position as a senior program associate at the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work and Butler Institute for Families. She is also currently earning her Doctorate of Education from Southern Nazarene University.