The Citizen Potawatomi Nation has joined other area tribes to help reduce the number of Indigenous people who are experiencing homelessness. The Native Homeless Alliance hopes to cut the rate of Native Americans experiencing homelessness by 50 percent by July 2024.
During the months of November and December, the Workforce and Social Services Department coordinated with Administration, Child Development and employees across the Nation to put together a total of 700 holiday food baskets.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation helped give back to the community during the holidays as employees hosted a variety of food drives and fundraisers.
Tribal members gathered at the CPN Elder Center in August to learn more about scams and how to avoid them. Four professionals were on hand to present the information: CPN Postal Service Manager Tammy Phelps, David Dinsmore with Arvest Bank, Greg Arbuckle with Sovereign Bank and Daniel Lee with Legal Aid Service of Oklahoma.
With her attention always on the needs of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and its members, Margaret Zientek has already hit the ground running as the new Workforce and Social Services department director. She spoke with the Hownikan about her work with Workforce programs and advocacy at the federal level to improve them, as well as her involvement with the Potawatomi Leadership Program.
The U.S. Department of Education awards millions of dollars for the Native American Career and Technical Education Program each year. In 2021, Citizen Potawatomi Nation received funds as one of 39 federally recognized tribes, tribal organizations and Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded schools to advance educational and career opportunities for Indigenous peoples and their communities.
Youth programs during summer 2021 provided an opportunity for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation to purchase and place trail cameras across its jurisdiction. The images help connect students to Mother Nature and open dialogue around conservation and land stewardship. The Nation now extends access to trail camera images through potawatomiheritage.com.
As in-person summer programs were canceled, several CPN departments, including Workforce Development & Social Services and the Department of Education, partnered with Oklahoma State University and employees across CPN to develop two virtual camps.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Workforce Development & Social Services seeks to help Native American families and students in need with access to assistance, no matter the circumstances.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation serves Native American elders through numerous departments and programs, including Title VI, Workforce & Social Services and the CPN Housing Department.