In this month’s episode, we’ll meet CPN’s new District 1 legislator, hear about the new First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City and learn about how the Tribe has dealt with the tumultuous employment sector through hiring events.

CPN welcomes new District 1 Legislator to Tribal leadership

Clinical psychologist and Joplin, Missouri, resident Alan Melot was sworn in as CPN’s new District 1 Legislator on September 3 following a runoff election. The Melot and Burgeron family descendant is 44 years old and has been married to his wife, Stephanie, since 1998, with one son. As a legislator, Melot plans to connect with the Tribal members in his district, keeping in mind both the past and the future.

Alan Melot is sworn in as CPN District 1 legislator by Judge Phil Lujan after a runoff election, Friday, Sept. 3, 2021.

“I wanted to do something (for the Tribe) that I felt I had experience in and something that I could contribute for. And being a legislator is what we moved up here for. And so when I got to do it, I jumped on it with both feet,” Walters said.

Contact District 1 legislator Alan Melot at alan.melot@potawatomi.org or on Facebook.

First Americans Museum celebrates opening weekend

After decades of being hindered by inconsistent funding and bureaucratic red tape, the First Americans Museum in Oklahoma City opened to the public Sept. 18, 2021. The staff and volunteer’s excitement shows their dedication to the project.

From the architecture to the exhibitions, the First Americans Museum near downtown Oklahoma City offers opportunities to learn about the 39 tribes in the state.

“I am incredibly inspired by all of the thought that went into the design of the museum. I can see that there are cultural elements in the structure of the building, in the way that actual exhibits are lined out. There is so much put into how to tell our Oklahoma Indigenous story,” said Tesia Zientek, CPN tribal member and Department of Education Director.

Find First Americans Museum online at famok.org as well as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Hiring events offer chance to change employment status on the spot

As entertainment, restaurants and health care clinics reopened to full capacity across the United States, the traditional employment process flipped, giving applicants their choice of jobs in many sectors. Citizen Potawatomi Nation Human Resources organized three hiring events in the spring and summer, creating a fast and centralized job hunting experience.

CPN human resources staff assists applicants while filling out their paperwork before moving on to the positions that interest them most.

“I remember at the first one, the Grand Casino, I was stressed. I was pretty stressed, worried. I was like, ‘What if we do all this, set up, and nobody shows up?’ And so I remember when that first person walked through the door, just everything lifted. I’m like, ‘It’s going to be a good day,'” said CPN human resources program manager Gwen Rice.

Check out job listings and opportunities at firelakejobs.com. Follow CPN on Facebook @citizenpotawatomination.

Learning Language

It’s time for Learning Language, when the CPN Language Department joins us to teach vocabulary, songs, stories and more. In this segment, department director Justin Neely joins us for a lesson about counting, age and more.

Learning Language – September 2021

For more information and opportunities with language, including self-paced classes, visit cpn.news/language. You can find an online dictionary at potawatomidictonary.com as well as videos on YouTube. There are also Potawatomi courses on the language-learning app Memrise.

Hownikan Podcast is produced and distributed by Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Public Information Department. Subscribe to Hownikan Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and wherever you find your favorite shows. Find digital editions of the Tribal newspaper here.