Whether Tribal members attending the Family Reunion Festival want to learn how to research family history, work on creating items for their regalia or even take a tour of the CPN Eagle Aviary, there are plenty of opportunities to explore Potawatomi culture this weekend.

Absorbing Potawatomi culture and history

For those who want to appreciate and learn more about Potawatomi culture, there are several different options.

Tours to the CPN Eagle Aviary are available each day. Tours begin at 7 a.m. Friday and Saturday and at 8 a.m. Sunday and are available each hour, with the last tour beginning at 11 a.m. Those wanting to participate must register at the CHC. A bus will transport those who have signed up from the CHC to the Aviary.

An Aviary Q&A session will also take place from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday and 1 to 2:15 p.m. Saturday in the CHC Long Room.

For those who want to learn more about the Potawatomi language, there will be Potawatomi Language Research presentations from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the CHC Library.

Lacrosse/stickball demonstrations will take place from 10 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 4 p.m. Friday, then from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday.

Author and artist Minisa Crumbo Halsey will give a presentation on her book, Going to CPN Family Reunion, from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday in the Long Room. She collaborated with the CPN Language Department to publish the children’s book, which she wrote and illustrated. There will also be a kids’ workshop incorporated in the presentation.

On Saturday, there will also be a presentation about Uniontown from noon to 1 p.m. in the CHC Long Room. Tribal Legislator Jon Boursaw, Tribal member Scott Holzmeister and Dr. Blair Schneider, Ph.D., from the Kansas Geological Survey will discuss findings from the Uniontown Cemetery in Kansas.

Recording family history

Anyone interested in learning about or preserving their family history can attend workshops at the CHC.

Friday and Saturday in the CHC Long Room, there will be demonstrations of Ancestors, the genealogical research program, at 10 a.m., followed by a workshop on digitizing documents and photos at 11 a.m.

Tribal members can also schedule family and veteran interviews, where they can document their own history through video interviews. Pre-registration is available through portal.potawatomi.org. See more about Heritage Interviews on page 14.

Learn to make traditional items

Throughout the weekend, there will be classes about how to make several items. All skill levels are welcome. Seating is limited and on a first come, first served basis. Most classes are free, but the drum class is $35 per person, and the shawl and moccasin classes are $40 per person.

From 9 a.m. to noon Friday, classes in the Long Room will include bandolier, loom beading for those between the ages of 13 to 18 (seating limited to 15 students), flat stitch earring, and hand drum making for ages 13 and older (seating limited to 10 to 15 students). In the classroom, classes will include shawl applique and shawl fringing.

From 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, classes in the Long Room will include hair pipe necklace, corn husk doll, bandolier and moccasin making (limited to 15 students). Classes in the classroom will include an applique class and a shawl fringing class.

From 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, classes in the Long Room will include choker, hand drum making for ages 14 and older (limited to 10-15 students), beaded bracelet, and moccasin making (limited to 15 students). In the classroom, there will be classes on applique and shawl fringing.

For more information, view the schedule of events handed out at registration or call the CHC at 405-848-5830.