A Tribal citizen studied engineering in Europe this summer after he was chosen for one of the most competitive and prestigious engineering internships in the country. Jake Biddy, a sophomore at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, was selected for the International Research Experiences for Students Project offered through Texas A&M University. He is hopeful his internship will influence other Native American engineering students to pursue the opportunity.
One of the most anticipated parts of the Potawatomi Leadership Program is a reception at which the participants present the special projects they created that include programs, services or enterprises they envision for the Nation’s future. Read about this year’s projects and participant reflections.
This month’s Veterans Report addresses mental health resources available to veterans, including the new Veterans Crisis Line.
During the Tribe’s 2022 election, District 7 chose to reelect Vieux and Johnson family descendant Mark Johnson to his fourth term as a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation legislature. He spoke with the Hownikan about his time as a legislator, his career and CPN’s future.
From Sept. 4 to Nov. 4, 1838, the United States forcibly removed a band of 859 Potawatomi and marched them from northern Indiana to present-day Kansas. A caravan in remembrance of this history is held every five years to honor victims and survivors. The next observance will be in 2023, said Janet A. Pearl, member-at-large, Potawatomi Trail of Death Association.
The annual CPN Department of Education Graduation Celebration welcomes graduates of various degree programs and their families back to the CPN Cultural Heritage Center for a meal, gifts, drumming and celebration. The department cherishes the opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of Tribal members and scholarship recipients, and to connect graduates with their Tribe.
The CPN House of Hope is excited to mark the five-year anniversary of its domestic violence shelter in Pottawatomie County. The shelter and the agency’s domestic and sexual violence services have grown over the years, and many individuals have found safety from dangerous intimate partner situations.
Tribal members share their experiences using CPN Care, a telehealth benefit available for free to Tribal members and their dependents anywhere in the country that provides phone and videocall appointments on the spot to those with an account. It also provides access to some counseling and mental health services via phone and video as well as a platform for reduced medication and prescription costs.
No other illness can conjure up feelings of anger, resentment, frustration, and despair like addiction. CPNBHS Licensed Health Service Psychologist and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor Dr. Julio Rojas explains the cunning nature of addiction, and announces an upcoming event on the subject.
As an economic force in central Oklahoma, Citizen Potawatomi Nation continued to contribute to the growth and sustainability of Oklahoma and its communities in 2021. A government report released earlier this year shows the Nation’s economic impact increased from $546 million in 2020 to $729 million in 2021 — a total of $183 million. Over the last 15 years, the numbers show an expansion of $350 million.