Frieda Fein

 

by

Marti Heline

 

The very kind SouthBend Tribune has honored the Potawatomi by writing about the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi twice a week, in anticipation of Tom Topash's, "Pokagon's Promise."

The works of Adams High School Senior, Frieda Fein's has been selected to compete in the 40 finalist 
works in a National program called "Society and Science" the event's winner will compete in Washington D.C. for $620,000.

Her work is called, "Investigation of Faunal Diets at Pokagon Village Site to Determine Farming Practices of the Pokagon Band."

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians was one of the few tribes allowed to stay on their land and not be removed in what is known as "The Trail of Death."  Most of the Potawatomi tribes were forced to relocate West of the Mississippi.  Notre Dame archeologist excavated a historic Pokagon village in the early 2000's and found the bones from domesticated animals such as cows and chickens.  The archeologist studied the bones and determined that the bones came from the Pokagon village.

Fein concludes that the Potawatomi tribe fed the animals and raised the animals for eating and providing a natural diet.  Fein who has a interest in archeology, and last year began volunteering at the University of Notre Dame, the same University that Mike Zimmerman Jr. attends, Zimmerman gets special attention because he can speak and write Potawatomi, Justin Neely, the language instructor at the Citizen Band of Potawatomi believes that only about 10 people can speak and write the language.

My request for Frieda Fein is to be a guest writer on this blog so that her Nationally recognized work can be distributed to all the Potawatomi tribes.  My email is tweetybird@hushmail.com

Original Article Link    
Photo's From Tribal Chairman WillKenny Link
Photo's From Indianopolis Diver Link 

Menwanma (Love) like a child. 
Donald Perrot Word a day link 

Following Leopold Pokagon

 

by

The entire staff

 

It has been nearly two centuries since Leopold Pokagons passing to a better place, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi tribe was named after him.

It is the opinion of the South Bend Tribune to honor and give tribute to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi by writing this kind article.

The Pokagon's language, spirituality, and history was threatened as much as the bald eagle that once shared the same lands as the Pokagon's.

We at the South Bend Tribune hope that an initiative to revive the knowledge of the Pokagons history will thrive just as the efforts to bring back the eagle from the brink of extinction.

The Pokagon's have fought modern day battles from diabetes to low college enrollment numbers but still remain.  Pokagon's Promise being near competition by Pokagon Band of Potawatomi member, Tom Topash.

The Potawatomi language is spoken by as few as 60 people today.  And only a handful of that number can actually teach the language.

"Pokagon's Promise"

 

Tom Topash, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi

Megwetch (Thank You) for recognizing the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the other Potawatomi tribes rich history and culture.

Indianz news coverage link
The source of the article link

 

Grand Traverse Chippewa and Odawa Tribe

Listing on Craigslist for $52.00

Agnes Rapp (1920 - 2003), a member of the Grand Traverse Chippewa and Odawa Tribe of Indians, learned to weave strips of black ash wood into basket designs from her Odawa stepparents, John and Dela McSawby.  "They were into baskets all the time... so I grew up with basketry, you know... I would cut up the material (black ash splints) on the floor and crisscross 'em and tie 'em up with string and stand ' em up and pretend I'd made a basket."  The family sold their baskets for food money during the Depression.  By the time she was ten, Agnes was regularly helping Deliah make baskets and even filling oders on her own.  "I got an order for myself to make little round baskets with handles and when I got those finished the money was mine and I bought a pair of shoes."

In 1939, Agnes married Michael Rapp, a Pokagon Potawatomi from Southern Michigan.  They first lived in Leland and then, during World War II, moved to southwest Michigan because Michael got a job in a defense plant in Benton Harbor.  They both joined a group of Potawatomis who regularly met at a community center in Dowagiac to make baskets.

Agnes Rapp is a master black ash basket maker and exert from her book describe her love of culture.  Her baskets are represented in many museums and private collections, including China.
(Click on the title of this story for the entire article)

$100,000 Giveaway Official Announcement

 

Copper Rock Steakhouse

New Buffalo, MI
Celebrate Valentine's Day at Four Winds Casino Resort by Winning $100,000 Worth of Diamonds

New Three Course Copper Classics Dinner at Copper Rock Steakhouse
(Click on the title of this story for the announcement)

 To see the new three course classic dinner click this link
To see the new Winter dinner menue click this link

Chief Leopold Pokagon

My Brothers Fruit
by
Martin Overniser

I have over 100 Google and Yahoo search alerts for just about everything that you can imagine regarding all seven bands of the Potawatomi and the leaders of the tribes, so I have to filter through what is news worthy.  One such story came from a blogger named Martin who wrote about a story about Chief Leopold Pokagon.  This is an exert of his writings:

Chief Leopold Pokagon sold a large area of Chicago to the United States government back in 1833 for three cents an acre.  Then the Chief said he had spent many years trying to get paid for the land, and even met with two presidents, Lincoln and Grant to no avail.
(To read the whole story please click on the title of this story, his story is dated Sunday, January 31, 2010.  Titled Albert and Max at Chicago World's Fair-1893)

This map below shows our original homelands. 

Photo by Forest County Potawatomi

Dowagiac Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Pow Wow

Pokagon's Promise

by

Debra Haight

Berrian Springs, Michigan.

Retired educator Tom Topash is working on Pokagon's Promise, which has been delayed due to his work with organizations such as the Red Cross, he has been heading up a charter school in Baton Rouge, La.  After hurricane Katrina the need for school teachers and administrators put a delay in Pokagon's Promise.

Tom also started a business called Turtle Island Wind and Solar that he is trying to promote to help save the Earth, a strong concern of Toms.

 

Pokagon's promise will promote the culture of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi to it's members and non members.

(To read the entire article click on the title of this story)    

New Buffalo

The Detroit News

January 30, 2010

by

Francis X. Donnelly

This tiny town located in Michigan is exploding with development and traffic.  So much development has taken place that condos have sprung up all over and have taken over all of Lake Michigan.

On the East side, the new Four Winds Casino Resort draws 15,000 gamblers a day.  The population of New Buffalo is 2,200.

Mike Hosinski, a resident of New Buffalo and a former furniture store owner who led a movement against construction of the casino says, "Now it's the Atlantic City."

The increase in development in an area that had many homes that were never lived in now has a problem of being so pricey that the middle-class can not move to New Buffalo.

Now maybe it's just me, but wouldn't this be a good thing in this economy of the shrinking dollar?

(To see the source click on the title of this story) 

 

 

Pokagon Scholarship

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi have a Scholarship available to students from New Buffalo or River Valley High School or Alternative Education graduating seniors that have a 3.0 or above GPA and some involvement in volunteer or community activities.

Application deadline is March 15th.

(Click on the title of this story for more details) 

New Buffalo Casino Board Hires Auditors

New Buffalo, Michigan.

The local revenue sharing board is hiring a auditing firm this week.  The casino makes about $1 million a day.  Four Winds Casino Resort opened in August 2007 in New Buffalo, Michigan. 

2 percent of slot machine revenues goes back to communities.  Under the payment formulas, local units of government are suppose to be repaid, like police and fire expenses.

After the casino pays the actual costs to local communities, 65% of the remaining casino revenue is distributed based on their millage rates.

Among the top cash recipient is New Buffalo Public Schools because of it's high mileage rate.

The remaining 35% is distributed to local governments surrounding the casino.  The auditing firm of David Schaffer and Layher was given a three year contract for up to $5,000. 


The whole story link



South Bend Tribune, January 15, 2010.

New Buffalo Officials are Happy!

Because they will only be on the hook for half of the $3.5 million that it will cost to upgrade New Buffalo's water system.  Pokagon Band of Potawatomi will be helping.

(Click on the title of this story for the entire story)

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi to give $900,000

New Buffalo, Michigan.

Construction of a expanded water treatment plant in New Buffalo will begin in April, 2010 and the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi agree to pay $900,000 for the expansion.
(click on the title of this story for the entire story)

South Bend Tribune

Pokagon Tribal Police Make Bust!

St. Joseph - Three Illinois men were caught trying to break into a New Buffalo Township copper wire warehouse, they were recently sent to jail.

Tribal police caught the three during the December 3rd break in.  They were all sentenced to jail and fines.  Tribal police are deputized to patrol in areas outside of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi land. 

Hopefully these three get the supervision and help that they need to straighten out themselves once they get out.  They are young enough to rehabilitate.

Group Seeks Help From Pokagon Fund

A group of local artist and community leaders are trying to seek help in funding eight nationally renowned artists to install sculptures in significant areas around New Buffalo.  The project would cost around $33,000 for what is being called phase I.

(Click on the title of this story for the entire article) 

Pokagon Fund for November 2009

The Dowagiac news reported the November grant money given by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi to the following causes:
*$20,653 to New Buffalo Schools for fitness equipment.
*$22,431 to New Buffalo Schools for computer furnishings.
*$ 3,500 to the Berrien Birding/Trails Map.
*$ 5,000 to the New buffalo Service League.
*$ 7,000 to the River Valley Wrestling Club
*$ 200 to the Library Friends of Three Oaks for the Christmas parade.
To visit the Pokagon Fund site:  Pokagon fund link
(Click on the title of this story for the entire article)

New Buffalo Michigan and the Pokagons

New Buffalo really put a nice section about Four Winds Casino Resort on their web site worth taking a look at. One of the most interesting things about the casino is the murals, they were done by world renowned Native American artist Mike Larson of the Chickasaw Tribe, he lives in Oklahoma and he did a total of eight murals that took him two years to complete. The casino lacks the neon lights and replaced it with art, a lot of it, even the cedar wood all over the casino is hand carved. When you first walk into the casino your mouth falls open, I have been in my share of casinos but never one like Four winds Casino Resort.
(click on the title of this story to read he New Buffalo review)

Mountain Lion Spotted!

Many people are reporting that they are seeing a Cougar in the County which is hard to believe because it is so close to Dowagiac, Michigan. The Mountain Lion has been conformed to be a just that! A Mountain Lion, these cats get up to 180 pounds.

It is interesting to note that in 2005 a 1,000 pound horse was killed and investigators concluded that it was the work of a Cougar, also near the same location.

(Click on the title of this story for the entire article)

Potawatomi Chief Noonday To Be Honored

Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Native Americans allied with the British during the war of 1812, Nawquageezhing of the Potawatomi Nation fought alongside the Shawnee Chief Tacumseh.

Then after the war, Nawquageezhgig led his people to home, along the Grand River. When settlers arrived to Grand Rapids Nawquageezhgig was the first to welcome them.

Nawquageezhgig was called Chief Nooday by the settlers because it was easier to say.

Grand Rapids is going to honor Chief Noonday by erecting a bronze statue to be placed along the West side of the Grand River. The project was initiated by philanthropist Peter Secchia.
Who was Chief Noonday link
(Click on the title of the story for the entire story)

Pokagons practiced "passive resistance"

The Pokagons remained in Michigan while so many other Potawatomi tribes were forcibly removed in the 1820's and 1830's. Leopold Pokagon waged a different kind of war, a war against false perceptions of his people and was able to communicate to the government the Pokagons ability to interact with others. What Leopold Pokagon said was, "we can't fight them all or kill them all, so we must resist on a more intelligent basis. That requires adaptation. You must first survive before you can fight!."
(Click on the title of the story for the entire story)

Amy Senninger

Amy Senninger is The Four Winds Casino Fine Art Consultant for Lakes Entertainment Inc. She loves social realists paintings from the 1930's such as Charles Burchfield, John Marin, Edward Hopper and Reginald Marsh. She is also a avid painter who is currently working on a series of paintings that depict everyday life in her town of Benton Harbor, Michigan.

Amy says that " art, especially painting is what Ive loved since I was a child", Amy eventually received a scholarship at a University in Art. Amy also worked for Gergio Armani in sales before coming to Four Winds Casino Resort. Amy can be reached at www.amysenninger.com
http://www.linkedin.amy-senninger
http://www.facebook./Pokagon-Tribal-Artwork-Program

Board balks at funding New Buffalo, Township Police Department

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, local revenue sharing board said not all police calls in New Buffalo are casino-related so they cannot be expected to fund police services. New Buffalo Township clerk, Paul Oselka said police protection should be considered a public safety issue. He also stated that when the first compact between the state and the Pokagon Band took effect. The compact called for specific allocations for public safety. He also stated that it is hard to raise taxes during hard times.

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi did agree to pay for blinking message boards alerting traffic of emergency situations instead of parking a firetruck at the entrance of a public safety emergency. Because of safety issues. It should also be noted The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi recently gave $6.2 million of revenue, and a large percentage goes to New Buffalo Township.

Chairman Wesaw said he would take a look and see how many calls are dispatched because of Four Winds Casino Resort and address the issue if it needed to be addressed. Please see the Revenue Sharing Section under Pokagon Issues for the exact formula for sharing.
Pokagon Fund link