More than 850 Potawatomi made the journey, and 42 perished, mostly children and elderly. Written and visual records help chronicle this trying time in the Tribe’s history, and utilizing these resources help Tribal members and others acknowledge the tenacity and resilient spirit of the Potawatomi people.
Exhausted by white encroachment, Native leaders like Chief Pontiac gained recognition for their efforts to return Turtle Island — North America — to its Indigenous roots. He led a resistance known today as Pontiac’s War or Pontiac’s Rebellion against the British in the 1760s.
This episode features Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services’ Chief Medical Officer regarding COVID, a CPN veteran included on the Cultural Heritage Center’s Wall of Honor and producer of the Grand Casino Hotel & Resort’s Emmy-winning music program.
The Hownikan is featuring photographs and family histories of every founding Citizen Potawatomi family – this one includes information about the Beaubiens.
The CPN Cultural Heritage Center recently received an Institute of Museum and Library Services grant to update the CHC’s final two galleries and educate visitors on the Nation’s history since arriving in present-day Oklahoma.
The Anderson family’s Potawatomi roots began in 18th century Peoria, Illinois, when a Potawatomi woman named Mary C. Tremblay married a blacksmith named John Anderson.
The documents span over a century and include records before and after Oklahoma statehood. The CHC recently donated the collection of books and preservation equipment to the Pottawatomie County Historical Society.
Tribal member, Marisa Mohi says the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center has many programs and events that make learning about Tribal history much easier.
Before removal west, Louis Vieux and his family were prominent fur traders around the Great Lakes. They continued trading after removal to Council Bluffs in present-day Iowa, and the family’s business ideals followed them to the Potawatomi reservation in northeastern Kansas.
Tribal member Kevin Roberts made connections with farmers and companies across the Midwest to obtain material he reclaims into benches, charcuterie boards, end tables and more for his business, Migwetch Mtek Designs.