Hannahville Indian School

 

The mission of the Hannahville Indian School is to give a education through the promotion of the Potawatomi values, traditions and history.

Teaching of the Potawatomi language is an essential part of the curriculum and learning of the language begins at kindergarten.

Hannahville Indian school even has it's own monthly newspaper called firm, fair & consistent.

Click to see the newspaper

Weekly tobacco ceremonies take place once a week.  Tobacco is a very important plant to the Potawatomi, we believe it was a gift from the spirits.  Potawatomi make frequent offering to the spirits.  Spirits are often our planet, Mother Earth , and everything on our planet like the animals and water.

Hannahville Potawatomi is one of the seven bands (tribes) located in the heart of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  They came to be when long, long ago an alliance known as the "Three Fires" was started by three brothers who shared similar lands and backgrounds.  All were of the Anishinabe and lived in the eastern part of North America.  After numerous wars and migrations, the tribes moved to the Great Lakes area.  The oldest brother, Chippewa (Ojibwa), was given the responsibility of Keeper of the faith.  The middle brother, Ottawa (Odawa) was the Keeper of the trade, and the youngest brother, Potawatomi (Bode'wadmi) was responsible for keeping the Sacred Fire; hence the Potawatomi name, "Keeper of the Fire."

(Click on the title of this story to see the school handbook)