The United States celebrates Columbus Day — also recognized as Indigenous Peoples’ Day — on the second Monday in October every year, and the holiday further perpetuates false narratives.
After removal west of the Mississippi, the Potawatomi utilized the limited available resources to survive. The Tribe’s expedition to present-day Missouri and Iowa put them in first-hand contact with other groups also experiencing displacement, including Mormons.
The Potawatomi Trail of Death began today in 1838. More than 850 Tribal members walked 660 miles from Indiana to Kansas. Written and visual records provide insight into this turbulent time and help present-day Potawatomi remember and honor their ancestors’ trials.
The Kansas Historical Society’s Director of Museum and Education Division, Mary Madden, recently reached out to Citizen Potawatomi Nation District 4 Legislator Jon Boursaw for consultation and to discuss updating the museum and nearby Baptist Mission.
Wanting to learn more about your Potawatomi heritage and the Tribe’s history? On July 29 from 1 to 2 p.m., join Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center staff via Zoom to hear about new programs and online offerings to help Tribal members build family trees, view historical documents and more! Register for the event here: cpn.news/chcdemo
Archivist and historian Lynn Cowles created a display at the Allen J Ellender Memorial Library at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, to highlight her Potawatomi family’s past. She celebrated Native American Heritage Month in November 2020 with visitors.
This episode focuses on art and history. We’ll hear from an Oklahoma folk musician and a stop-motion animation artist with new work on Netflix. The Director of CPN’s Cultural Heritage Center also discusses the history of the 1936 Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act.
From bustling pioneer settlements to oil booms and busts and growing metropolitan areas, the state of Oklahoma has undergone many changes since the Potawatomi arrived in Indian Territory in 1872. That includes the demise of many small, rural communities. Although numerous towns once existed throughout Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s jurisdiction, a few stand out.
Learn how to conduct Potawatomi research, build family trees and more through the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Cultural Heritage Center’s Mezodanek platform on May 19 from 3 to 4 p.m. Join the virtual, Zoom event by registering here. Please note, the Mezodanek platform is not accessible until May 2021.
In this episode, we’ll hear about the history of the Potawatomi census book of 1862 and the Tribe’s efforts to gain ownership, an environmental activists’ stay with CPN during her journey hiking across the U.S. as well as the behavioral health department’s smoking cessation classes.