The Potawatomi naming ceremony

An aspect of traditional Potawatomi culture, the naming ceremony, has reemerged in recent years. Traditionally, Potawatomi believe that when a child is born, the Creator cannot see their face. In order to show the child to the Creator, the tribe would have a ceremony and the child was given a name. Centuries of forced removals Read More »

New Marine Exhibit highlights Potawatomi history from the Great Lakes era

Work at the Citizen Potawatomi Cultural Heritage Center continues on a number of exhibitions, part of a multi-year project to educate tribal members and the visiting public on the history of the Potawatomi and Neshnabek. A new exhibit at the CHC is the Marine Exhibit. The exhibit depicts a Potawatomi man spearfishing from a birch Read More »

Traditional Potawatomi Hand Game

      Two teams of participants would compete against one another. In previous centuries, Potawatomi would bid on each team and wager on the winner. The person who correctly backed the competition’s winning team would get a large percentage of the overall wager, while the team’s members would get a cut of the winnings. Read More »

CPN member studies food security among Citizen Potawatomi Nation households

Jeremy Bennett, CPN member and Oklahoma State University graduate, recently completed research to determine the food security among Native Americans in Pottawatomie County. The research included information on how education, employment, and income levels affect food security in households and Bennett hopes that it will influence legislation aimed at Native Americans. “Not only was this Read More »

Potawatomi Cornerstone

Bozho This months’ article features Kaitlyn Orr, no relation to Yancey Orr from the previous article. Kaitlyn is a member of the Bourassa family and is currently living in Boston, Mass. She grew up in Shawnee, Kan. and moved to Boston where she is now working on her MBA at Harvard Business School. After the Read More »

CPN welcomes families to the 2013 Family Reunion Festival

* Online registration is now closed. On site registration will open the morning of Friday, June 28 in the southwest side of the FireLake Arena. The Arena is located behind FireLake Discount Grocery at S. Gordon Cooper Drive and Hardesty Road in Shawnee, Oklahoma.   The Family Reunion Festival serves as an opportunity to connect Read More »

Mark Harmon Celebrity Weekend begins at FireLake Bowling Center

This weekend NCIS star Mark Harmon, and a group of his celebrity friends, will gather to raise money to support local non-profit organizations. The 13th annual event includes a bowling night and a celebrity baseball game. The event kicks off in Shawnee with the Stars & Strikes Bowling night at FireLake Bowling Center. “This event Read More »

Festival prepartation: How to make a fan

With Festival on the horizon, having traditional Potawatomi dress and regalia are an important facet of participating in ceremonies like Grand Entry and dancing. One piece of this regalia is the fan, which in addition to being a nice addition to Potawatomi clothing, comes in handy in the warm June weather. Here’s what you need Read More »

Officer Mckechnie of CPN Police Department honored for excellent police work

Citizen Potawatomi Nation Police Department honored CPN Police Officer Mike Mckechnie for his dedication to the department and excellent police work. A traffic stop initiated by Mckechnie resulted in the end of a multi-state crime spree. “Officer Mckechnie is a very hard worker,” said Major Kurt Shirley, CPN Police Department. “He goes out and looks Read More »

Citizen Potawatomi Nation opens distribution site to help tornado victims

The Citizen Potawatomi Nation has opened a distribution site to help the victims of the May 19 and 20 tornadoes in Oklahoma. Oklahomans needing assistance may call 405-598-0797 to make an appointment. You must make the appointment from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. After hours pickup will be available by appointment. “We Read More »