In the wake of last week’s decision by an arbitrator against the State of Oklahoma‘s attempts to collect state and local sales taxes on non-tribal members purchasing goods and services on tribal trust land, this Way Back Wednesday seemed like an excellent opportunity to show how the Citizen Potawatomi Nation has been down this road Read More »
Somewhat of a different turn for this week’s Way Back Wednesday as our CPN Cultural Heritage Center archives and collections department seeks the help of tribal members who may know the origin of an item in the museum collections. Do you recognize this doll? It is one of many interesting items within our ethnology collection. Read More »
Sat., Feb. 27, 2016 will mark the one hundred and forty ninth anniversary of the treaty that established the new Citizen Potawatomi reservation in Indian Territory [Oklahoma]. Drafted to alleviate pressures the Citizen Potawatomi were facing following the Treaty of 1861 and subsequent allotment of reservation lands in Kansas, the new 1867 treaty stipulated that Read More »
For the March 2016 Hownikan, we’re working on an article on the best practices in gathering your family information to help build a Potawatomi family tree. Looking back on this Way Back Wednesday though, that’s a common topic that seems to span generations. Take a look at this article from the 1982 edition of the Read More »
The object is a replica of an ancient style of Potawatomi war club, known as a bgemagen, created by Tribal member Bud Onzahwah. Crafted from wood, stone and leather, it historically ergonomic design eased storage, travel and use during battle. Pre-dating the use of firearms and used continually after their introduction, Potawatomi used and refined Read More »
Kee-wau-nay was a war chief, one of the old patriarchs of the Pottawattamies of the Wabash. The village of Kee-wau-nay and the charming lake which was in close vicinity was named after the chief. He was an old man of consideration among his people…. He was familiar with the citizens of Logansport [Indiana] who respected Read More »
A recent acquisition that was graciously donated by the Pottawatomie County Museum and Historical Society is a small photograph measuring 2.5” x 4” known as a carte de visite of prominent Citizen Potawatomi member Mary Anderson Bourbonnais. The photograph was made in Topeka, Kan. by photographer James H. Leonard in the 1870s.
Short but sweet look back at one of the Tribe’s early efforts to improve the health of Potawatomi elders living in the Tribal jurisdiction with this 1986 photograph of longtime Tribal employee and member Joyce Abel (right) and Alma Harber (left). When taken, Abel was the CPN community health rep, a program begun in the Read More »
Observing our seasonal moons, many Potawatomi communities regard November as Bbongises [Snow Moon]. During this moon, Potawatomi and other Great Lakes tribes play a centuries old sport called Zhoshke’nayabo or Snowsnake. Typically played by men and boys, snowsnake is not only for amusement, but for spiritual and therapeutic means. It is thought that the comradery Read More »
An excerpt from George Winter’s journal regarding Pash Po Ho. Winter was a participant and chronicler of the Potawatomi Trail of Death. “Pash Po Ho was an aboriginal gentleman-he was considered the best dressed Pottawattamie Indian in the nation, and was exceedingly graceful when mounted upon his handsomely equipped pony. “The heavy plated bit-handsome bridle-the Read More »