Shelley Hoogstraten-Miller, retired Captain of the United States Public Health Service, writes of the history of the USPHS and the importance of recognizing it for its critical role as one of the eight United States uniformed services.
CPN’s Kelley Francen has accepted a new leadership role focusing on increasing engagement among the Nation’s more than 2,100 employees. As director of employee advocacy, Francen will be empowering CPN staff members to succeed, regardless of length of employment or position.
Two Potawatomi artists contributed their talents to a new song and music video, Speak Again. Inspired by Potawatomi author Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s 2013 best-selling book, Braiding Sweetgrass, the lyrics and video envision a future where Bodéwadmimwen is brought back to Potawatomi communities in a meaningful way.
The Kwek Society, founded in 2018 by CPN District 2 Legislator and humanitarian immigration lawyer Eva Marie Carney, is a nonprofit organization addressing period poverty in Indian Country. In 2022, the organization surpassed 1,000,000 supplies delivered, expanded partnerships and received notable media coverage of their work.
January is Stalking Awareness Month. House of Hope’s Kayla Woody writes about signs of stalking, and steps to take if you or a loved one are experiencing stalking. If you feel you are in immediate danger, please call 911.
The Citizen Potawatomi Nation Department of Education selected Sarah Dunigan as the second recipient of the Michael John Kennedy Scholarship. She attends the University of Oklahoma in Norman and takes pride in three generations of relatives who served in the military throughout the 20th century.
In October 2022, the Oklahoma Public Safety Conference named Citizen Potawatomi Nation Police Department dispatcher Joan Nevin the state’s 2022 Telecommunicator of the Year at its annual event.
The roots of the Lafromboise family extend to present-day Chicago, Illinois, a history preserved through family stories and documentation that are now held at the CPN Cultural Heritage Center.
Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member Jody Gzhadawsot (Helps Children) Mattena grew up learning to hunt, garden and gather as well as prepare and preserve foods from her grandfather and her mother. Now, she fulfills her dreams of cooking and educating through her BossLady Anish platforms and work with the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi Food Sovereignty Department as a lifeways consultant. Most recently, her work practicing and educating about Indigenous foodways brought her to the headquarters of one of the largest and most recognizable global food companies — Kellogg’s.
The January 2023 veterans report highlights a new mobile app that brings VA health care and benefits to veterans’ fingertips, as well as a return to regularly scheduled CPN Veterans Organization meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month.