Robert Collins, Citizen Potawatomi Nation employee and member of the Delonais family and Thunder Clan, grew up hearing common Bodwéwadmimwen words such as bozho (hello) or migwéch (thank you). However, he has spent the past several years fostering a deeper knowledge of the language and working to teach others, as well.
Learning and building community
“I lived a lot of lives before coming to the language more seriously, but things changed for me in 2019,” Collins said. “It was in that year that I decided to dedicate myself to learning our language. And for the last nearly half-decade, it’s been nothing short of a rewarding journey.”
A big part of the journey, for him, has been the help and community he found with other language learners, whether fellow Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal members or members of other Potawatomi communities.
In 2020, Collins met CPN tribal member Wkenodan Getgadekwen and his mother, Laurel Coburn, a member of the Vieux family and Bear Clan. The three met regularly over the next two years to talk about the language and language learning resources. In the summer of 2022, Collins was able to sponsor Wkenodan Getgadekwen and his mother to work with him on language resources in Shawnee, and afterward, they attended their first Potawatomi Gathering Language Conference together in Hannahville, Michigan.
“It was there that I was able to see the whole Potawatomi Nation celebrate him for the incredible work he has done at such a young age. It has been an honor to know and learn from him,” Collins said.
Collins also stays involved with many other classes and communities where the language is shared. He participates in a weekly study group hosted by Lindsay Marean on Monday evenings. On Tuesdays, he attends language sessions with Kyle Malott, a Pokagon Band of Potawatomi advanced language specialist who apprenticed for many years with Jim Thunder, a first-language speaker who walked on in 2022. On Thursdays, Collins participates in a session hosted by Mike Medawis, a member of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, and taught by the other Pokagon Potawatomi Advanced Language Specialist, Carla Collins.
“This language is important to our people — to who we are as Bodéwadmi. And I take learning it as seriously as I take teaching it,” he said.
Collins believes collaboration is an important part of the journey to learn the language, and he values the relationships he has made along the way.
He is also pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Native American Studies at East Central University, with a heavy focus on Indigenous languages, and he expressed his gratitude to the CPN Department of Education for the support they have provided him.
“If you can’t tell, I’m a lifelong student, and I’m passionate about learning and teaching our language to Tribal citizens,” he said.
Working to revitalize the language
As well as learning the language, Collins is also working to help others who want to learn it.
“Not only is language learning important — but language teaching, too,” he said.
Collins is the Interdepartmental Potawatomi Language Lead for the Cultural Heritage Center. In his role, he develops and implements language-learning curricula for the Child Development Centers, online college courses and community classes. He also assists with the educational partnerships CPN has with six universities across the United States.
“This year has been particularly remarkable, as we welcomed our highest enrollment to date, with 25 enthusiastic students participating across three universities,” he said.
Collins explained they use tailored instructional methods and immersive learning experiences to help teach skills to the next generation of language learners that will enable them to preserve and revitalize the language.
“Our program has seen significant success in just a short amount of time, and we’ve helped foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of our language and cultural heritage among these students,” he said. “But it’s taken years of work to get to this point.”
One effort Collins is especially proud of is some of the young Potawatomi students from the Child Development Center who participated in and were recognized at the Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair. This year, Collins worked with the CDC’s Pre-K all-day class to perform in the spoken poetry category, for which the students received a first-place ribbon. Collins hopes to continue CPN representation at next year’s fair as well.
Collins also teaches a Bodéwadmimwen Mechanics 101 class, a 52-week community course that is open to all Tribal citizens. The class meets two times each Saturday, with the first session focusing on grammar and the second on vocabulary. Collins draws upon what he has learned from his language teachers and his time at university to create other classes for Tribal members.
Collins talked about the growing interest across the CPN to learn Potawatomi. “I’m thankful for this work, because every day, I get to work for our people, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation,” he said. “Every day that I can, I work on this language — learning it, speaking it, and teaching it. And every step of the way, I have had a community of language learners alongside me, which I am forever indebted to.”
But for Collins, the work to learn and teach CPN tribal members never stops. As Collins says to anyone interested in learning more about language learning and available resources, “Just as my teachers have been there for me, I am here for you. If you have questions or wish to join one of our ongoing community classes, such as Bodéwadmimwen Mechanics 101, please reach out to me. Together, we’ll pick up our language.”
Collins encouraged anyone with questions or an interest in joining one of the ongoing community classes to reach out to him at robert.collins@potawatomi.org.