The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center began 2023 under new leadership. Blake Norton took over the position as director of the CHC and tribal historic preservation officer (THPO), and Keisha Wolf signed on as assistant director. They each spoke with the Hownikan about their roles and plans for the future of the CHC.
As the Family Reunion Festival returns, so do classes offered by the Cultural Heritage Center. Whether wanting to learn how to bead or get information about preserving family history, there’s something for everyone at the CHC classes.
Heritage Interview Clerk Christopher Lenggenhager hopes to see many Tribal members during Family Reunion Festival this year and aims to record interviews that serve as video time capsules for future generations. To schedule an interview, visit portal.potawatomi.org.
An important part of Family Reunion Festival, the honored families tradition recognizes the families that moved to Oklahoma following forced removal and eventually formed the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. The 2023 honored families are Johnson, Lafromboise, Lareau, LeClair, Melott, Rhodd, Tescier, Weld and Young.
This year, the Nation’s long-standing tradition of recognizing the families that moved to Oklahoma following forced removal and eventually formed the Citizen Potawatomi Nation returns to Family Reunion Festival. This year’s honored families are Johnson, Lafromboise, Lareau, LeClair, Melott, Rhodd, Tescier, Weld and Young.
To highlight some of the CPN archive holdings at the Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center, the Hownikan is featuring photographs and family history of every founding Citizen Potawatomi family. The Melott family was profoundly influential in the founding of present-day Wanette, Oklahoma.
With special care, family heirlooms may withstand regular use so the next generation can enjoy them as well. CPN Cultural Heritage Center experts share tips for caring for heirlooms.
During this episode, we’ll hear tips and tricks for keeping family heirlooms safe, take a ride on an exciting new piece of equipment for CPN’s industrial park, and visit an exhibit highlighting Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Chicago-based artist Andrea Carlson made a splash in 2021 when her piece “You are on Potawatomi Land” was installed along the RiverWalk in downtown Chicago.
To highlight some of the CHC’s archival holdings, the Hownikan is featuring photographs and family history of every founding Citizen Potawatomi family. The LeClair family history can be traced back to Wisconsin and Illinois, through war, forced removals, and kinship ties with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, to present-day Pottawatomie County. Read more at cpn.news/leclair.