In 2021, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Language Department once again began offering in-person classes after more than a year of virtual learning due to the pandemic. Since many Tribal members live across the country, they continue to use online platforms during every session. Tribal members find connection through in-person and online offerings, and pass on what they learn to their families.
CPN Language Department Director Justin Neely gives a language update for February 2022 which discusses course work at Shawnee Middle School and teaching at the CPN Child development center.
February 2022 is the 155th anniversary of the Treaty of 1867, the last of several treaties that the Citizen Potawatomi signed with the U.S. federal government. This treaty was the final push for the first Citizen Potawatomi families to move from Kansas to Indian Territory. The U.S. Government officially ended treaty negotiations with Native American tribes in 1871.
During this episode, we visit with an author about her new book that tells stories from a Tribal elder’s childhood, a domestic violence prevention specialist about National Stalking Awareness Month and a historian about the 155th anniversary of the last treaty CPN signed with the federal government.
The Hownikan features history of the Higbee family as a part of a series highlighting archival holdings on founding families.
CPN’s new portal is a single access point for members to submit or update their personal information and research family connections.
Youth programs during summer 2021 provided an opportunity for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation to purchase and place trail cameras across its jurisdiction. The images help connect students to Mother Nature and open dialogue around conservation and land stewardship. The Nation now extends access to trail camera images through potawatomiheritage.com.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Language Department began offering Potawatomi classes to public school systems in 2017 after the curriculum met Oklahoma state standards for a world language credit. The department expanded to Shawnee Middle School in 2021. At the beginning of the academic year, it presented sixth graders the option to take Potawatomi as a 9-week elective course.
The January 2022 Language update from CPN Language Department Director Justin Neely discusses Potawatomi language courses in area schools, on-going classes by the department, children’s book efforts, and more.
The Hownikan features photographs and family history of the Hardin family as a part of a series highlighting archival holdings on founding families.