Honoring Chief Abraham Burnett

 

by

Walburn University and Wisconsin Historical Society

Chief Abraham Burnett, Nan-wesa-mah, he who pray's with plants. 

 

This photograph shows Chief Abram Burnett in Kansas in the early 1860's.  The photograph shows how Chief Burnett dressed everyday.  Chief Burnett wore a blanket wrapped around his body to show his traditional beliefs as a Potawatomi.

Chief Burnett passed on June 14, 1870.  He weighted 496 pounds at the time of his death and enjoyed farming even with his difficulty in getting around.  His superior education and way with words made him a very famous Potowatomi Chief.

Chief Burnett was born in 1812 and  lived through some of the most challenging times of Potawatomi, by the forced removal of the Potawatomi and being forced to take on a different culture than what he knew.

To read the entire history link
Chief Burnett link 

Prairie Band of Potawatomi Pow Wow