Those who have attended tribal powwows have probably recognized the importance of dance in the Potawatomi culture. The tradition has been passed down for hundreds of years as part of cultural ceremonies and celebrations. On July 18-22, Kaylee Keith-Morrison, a Whitehead, Anderson and Smith descendant, hosted a cheerleading and dance camp for area tribal Read More »

By August 1, the Potawatomi Leadership Program students will be packing their bags and heading back to their hometowns after a six-week internship that taught them the ins and outs of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The award-winning program brings a group of 10 young tribal members from around the country to Shawnee, Oklahoma to learn about the government, culture, and economic development of CPN. This Read More »

The CPN Eagle Aviary has a new resident: a tawny eagle chick, which is normally found in African countries. After two bald eagles – Kyla and Charlie – were unsuccessful in hatching eggs of their own, aviary staff partnered with another Oklahoma aviary to make them parents. This is the first time on record that bald eagles have raised a tawny eagle chick. Like all Read More »

Tribal leaders met with the City of McLoud to gift $27,000 of tribal sales taxes to the city from the operations at Quail Ridge Sporting Clays. Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett and Vice-Chairman Linda Capps were on hand to donate the funds. The clay shooting operation sits on CPN tribal trust land and operates under the U.S. HEARTH Act. “We appreciate how much Read More »

Bozho, The members of the CPN Veterans Organization were invited by members of the Rolling Thunder Motorcycle Organization, who were making their Flame of Freedom Ride, to attend a very special ceremony honoring POW/MIA’s of Oklahoma from the Vietnam War. The ceremony was sponsored the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and held at the Mchusuckey Mission Grounds south of Seminole in May 2016. The Rolling Thunder members performed Read More »

Though the temperatures were high and the mid-summer days long, more than 120 youth showed up at FireLake Ball Fields to participate in the annual Day of Champions Camp. The camp was hosted by Citizen Potawatomi Nation and Day of Champions Inc., which was founded by former collegiate football coach Ken Heupel and son, Josh, Read More »

In an effort to combat the rising tide of opioid abuse plaguing the nation, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy visited with tribal leaders and healthcare professionals during a visit to Oklahoma. Sponsored by the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board based out of Oklahoma City, Surgeon General Murthy visited with tribal youth from across the state at the CPN Cultural Heritage Center for a town hall and Read More »

The long history of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation contains many way points and historically significant places. One can find historical monuments scattered across the American Midwest along the Potawatomi Trail of Death in the states of Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. A lesser known site, now lost to the ages, was the Council Oak. The Council Oak stood in South Bend, Indiana for centuries. Some estimates Read More »

Citizen Potawatomi Nation has again been recognized for its charitable influence, receiving an honor at the annual Beacon Awards hosted by the Journal Record newspaper. “With the economic downturn and belt-tightening throughout the state, nonprofits have also taken a hard hit to their revenues,” said Joni Brooks, president and publisher of The Journal Record. “That Read More »

For those who have been at the tribe’s annual Family Reunion Festival the last three years, the tradition of honoring the general council meeting’s eldest attendee has been reserved for one tribal member in particular. At the time of writing, 99-year-old George Hamilton had just received his third straight honor from Tribal Chairman John “Rocky” Read More »