Tribal members who attended Federal Indian board schools will have a space to tell their stories as The Road to Healing stops in New Mexico on Oct. 29. The Road to Healing is part of The Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative at the U.S. Department of the Interior, launched in June 2021, which hopes to highlight the history of Federal Indian boarding schools and the impact they had on Indigenous people.
Writing is nothing new to author and Tribal member Kaitlin Curtice, but in October, she expects to release her first children’s book. Winter’s Gifts, available starting Oct. 31, tells the story of a Potawatomi girl named Dani (dah-nee) and the way she and her family celebrate the Winter Solstice.
Public notice to acquire land into trust
Sovereign Bank President of Tribal Banking James Boggs represented CPN and Sovereign Bank as a key-note speaker during the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Oklahoma’s (AICCO) 2023 Business Summit, The Gathering. In addition to sponsoring the event and attending as a representative of the bank, James Boggs was honored with the AICCO Member of the Year Award.
FireLake Wellness Center celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Its doors opened on Oct. 3, 2003, with the mission to “provide professionally designed and responsibly supervised physical fitness activities for Native Americans.” The center continues to provide high-quality health and wellness services to the community, and the staff hopes to for years to come.
CPN Human Resources Director Richard Brown outlines workplace trends throughout the U.S. and within CPN, and the diversity of age groups employed by the Tribe.
CPN member Lauren Hardin and her husband, Matthew Hardin, decided to start their own business in Tecumseh, Oklahoma, with the goal of working for themselves and having flexibility. With support from the Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s Community Development Corporation, they are optimistic about the future.
To highlight some of the Cultural Heritage Center archive holdings, the Hownikan is featuring photographs and family history of every founding Citizen Potawatomi family. The Tescier family ancestors were front row witnesses to history and the birth of what would become Oklahoma. They lived through the Land Run, endured the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, and have served as elected officials of the CPN government and holders of cultural teachings over many generations.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation led a training session about the HPV vaccination July 19 in the Cultural Heritage Center Long Room. CPN Public Health Coordinator Laney Shutler said the morning talk about the HPV vaccine is just the first of a series, with more topics to follow on a quarterly basis.
There are many barriers to safety in an abusive relationship, including difficulties finding basic needs like housing and the financial stability to meet those needs. CPN House of Hope prevention specialist Kayla Woody outlines legal protections in Oklahoma that can help.