CPN, Dunbar Heights celebrate historic community partnership

On June 17, 2022, Citizen Potawatomi Nation and the Dunbar Heights Community of Shawnee, Oklahoma, held a VIP reception in honor of Juneteenth. The partnership works to acknowledge the historical ties between Native tribes and slavery, repair the historical divides between Native American and Black communities, and pave the way toward a more just and equitable future.

FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival earns top award at tourism event

The FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival received the Outstanding Event award during the 2022 RedBud Awards, hosted by the Oklahoma Travel Industry Association. For the past 25 years, the RedBud Awards have recognized Oklahoma’s top tourism attractions, events, programs and organizations for their outstanding efforts to serve and promote Oklahoma’s tourism industry, according to the OTIA website.

Peltier descendant shines in 2022 Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame

As a high school senior, Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member Shelby O’Steen received the Jim Thorpe High School Volleyball Player of the Year award from the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame in June 2022. The Bright Path Program recognizes the top high school athletes from across the state for their athletic and academic prowess.

Small steps can help consumers cope with inflation

The U.S. inflation rate recently hit a 40-year high, leading many Oklahomans to ask themselves what they can do to stay afloat during challenging financial times. James Boggs, president of community banking at First National Bank & Trust Co. writes about steps consumers can take to cope.

Bourassa family descendant serves hometown

Tribal member Mark McBride serves his community of Moore, Oklahoma, as the Oklahoma House Representative for District 53. He is motivated by community, and is particularly interested in improving education in the state and preserving sites of cultural and architectural value.

Hownikan Podcast: July 2022

This episode discusses CPN Health Service’s new telehealth platform for all Tribal members in the U.S., makes a visit to a recent opioid overdose awareness event held by CPN Behavioral Health and talks with District 7 Legislator Mark Johnson about his reelection in June.

Big Heart Woman

Jeannie Wamego Van Veen tells of her experience becoming a teacher and advocating for teachers as a part of the National Education Association.

CPN lends a hand to communities struck by tornados

Following a series of severe storms in southeastern Oklahoma this May, CPN’s Emergency Management, FireLake Discount Foods, Health Services, Workforce Development and Social Services, and Grand Casino Hotel & Resort all mobilized to partner with nonprofit aid groups and the affected communities to respond to the disaster.

Know More Do More

Citizen Potawatomi Nation House of Hope was able to host the Know More Do More: Identifying & Responding to Stalking event this past May for local service providers from around the state. The organization was excited to partner up with the National Stalking Prevention Awareness and Resource Center, or SPARC, to bring information to local law enforcement, family and victim advocates, mental health professionals, medical staff, and social service professionals.