FireKeepers Casino

FireKeepers casino owned by the Nottawasseppi huron Band of Potawatomi, announced that Donald Kujawa won the second largest jackpot in the casino's history.  Winning $274,000 on the penny slots.  Boy I bet he is happy. 

Penny Winner Link
 

Unusual News

I have been writing this publication for over two months now.  I do it to give back to the Potawatomi.  Not to take, but to give.  I have had the help from many Potawatomi that have contributed to this publication.  Mr. Mitchell the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Tribal Historian.  To John Low my adviser if I get stuck.  Many Potawatomi have helped me in this publication.  I want to thank those that have helped give back to the Potawatomi population through the knowledge of language and culture.

This publication has been recognized by many as beneficial, like appeals judge, Matthew Fletcher who helped me get started by sending people my way.  Thank You Mr. Fletcher.

Sometimes this publication that takes two hours a day to produce for so many visitors of the Potawatomi nation can feel like a thankless job.  But it is the kindness in emails and comments that allows me to continue when others try to discourage education.

Unusual News

Rush Limbaugh has made a few insensitive remarks when it comes to the topic of Native Americans, and has taken a lot of heat for his remarks, due to the fact that most people living on the planet understand what the history of the Native American was and is.  

Rush Limbaugh amends his earlier statement:  "All right--Native American giving" in regards to the health care bill that would bring significant changes for the positive for funding to all Native Americans.

Rush Limbaugh says that if the health care program passes that he will move to Costa Rica.  I guess he forgot that Costa Rica has National health care.

Rush Limbaugh Video Link
Rush Moving Link


 

Unusual News

Something that showed up in my mailbox that I have never seen before.  A trial of Death pin made by the Fulton County Historical Society to remember the Potawatomi who were the original inhabitants of the Great Lakes area but were forcibly removed to Kansas in what now is known as the Trail of Death.  The first removal was called the Trail of Death Rendezvous.

Link to seller
 

Nottawaseppi Huron Band

Grosse Pointe, Michigan, - Laura Spurr the tribal chair of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi, who passed on Friday, February 19 from a heart attack at the age of 64 was remembered by a article to pay tribute to her life and progress that she brought to the Native American community by Indian County Today.

Indian Country Today Link

Citizen Band of Potawatomi

The Citizen Band of Potawatomi has received grants for $950,116, Native American housing:  $21,810, nutrition services, $2,000,000, small business and development:  $3,028,333, $147,561, geothermal retrofit for existing buildings, and $1,281,428, childcare and development.

Federal grants for the Eagle Rehabilitation Program.  Helps rehabilitate injured eagles so that they can return back to the wildlife.

If you visit the Citizen Band of Potawatomi news site you will see why I decided to start my own news site.  The radio station that is coming soon is being sponsored by celebrities and will be ONLY Potawatomi news and things that matter to the Potawatomi.  Promoting the members of the Potawatomi tribe.  Made by a Potawatomis for Potawatomis.  We have enough important people in our tribes to be selective, it just takes doing homework.  

The Citizen Band of Potawatomi is also a proud sponsor of the Children's Hospital Foundation.

Childrens Foundation Link
News Link

Wasauksing First Nation

Marvin Francis Media Gallery Presents

Becoming Unwritten

by

John Hupfield

Production not available to public yet.

daa[in ezhi-bmaadziwaad mtgoot - Take the life of tress

daapinan ezhi - bmaadizimak nwewin - Take the life of the language

daapinan zhitwaawinan - Take the life of ceremonies

In an expression of loss and gain, the taking away and picking up, can we really ever reclaim the things that have been lost?  Using stop - frame digital imagery and digital video, the ebb and flow of language and culture as witnessed by a young anishinaabe man comes to the fore.

John Hupfield is a writer, filmmaker and member of the Wasauksing First Nation.  One of the nine tribes of the Potawatomi Nation. 

LED light show from the entrance of Potawatomi Bingo with terrible music selection by producer.

Kee-Boon-Mein-Kaa Pow Wow

Kee-Boon-Mein Kaa means I have quit picking huckleberries.  It is a gathering and celebration of the good harvest and Potawatomi way of life.  Please call ahead to confirm event details.  It will be held in Dowagiac, Michigan at the tribal fair grounds on 09/10 to 09/05/10.  Admission will be free.

 

Forest County Potawatomi

Listening to our Elders

by

Lori Thomas

A new beginning in the way Native Americans communicate is emerging as modern technology advances.  The Forest County Potawatomi offer a section of cultural education to show and teach the young and not so young, lessons from positive techers of the Potawatomi culture.

The elders of the Potawatomi teach the younger how to act and how important our culture is.  Without the elders teachings, all of our culture would be lost. 

Listening to our Elders Link  
 

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi

Special elders meeting from April 19th - 21st, 2010.  

Link to form

Due to a minor technicality the herald-palladium reported that the New Buffalo schools broke rules and is being asked to pay back $50,000 to the Pokagon Fund. 

Pre-ordering equipment is not allowed under the current agreement. 

Lakes Entertainment will be having a conference call and webcast meeting regarding the fourth Quarter and full year of 2009 on Friday, March 12, 2010 at 1:00p.m.

Link to conference  

Native American

Illegal fishing case

Escanaba, Michigan - The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is going to have to seek other options regarding the case of five members of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians.  The U.S. Attorney General's Office had been investigation the case for over a year and they announced that they will not pursue the issue because of complications with a prior agreement written back in 1836 that allows Native American's fishing rights.

To read the entire article link 
Teaty link 

Saginaw Chippewa Tribe

A man from Isabella County barricaded himself in his home with an assault rife and hurt a women.  Police say that the man threatened to shoot the police that responded.  Police had to evacuate the neighborhood after the call came in around 5 p.m.

Police negotiators eventually talked the man out of the house and rescued the injured women.  My cousin Diane Quigno lives near the incident and expressed deep concern over the situation.  

News link

Forest County Potawatomi

Forest County Potawatomi loves off road racing, while the Prairie Band of Potawatomi loves their football and basketball.

Off-road racing Champion Johnny Graves has announced that he will be joining the Monster Energy Forest County Toyota Race team.  Forest County Potawatomi is one of the nine tribes of Potawatomi.

Link to announcement

Prairie Band of Potawatomi

Letter to the Editor of Indian Country Today from Richard Adame a member of the Prairie Band of Potawatomi regarding taxing Native American veterans. 

Indian Country Today Link

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi

 

Published March 8, 2010.

Robert J. Cambell, 68 years young has passed away on Monday, March 1, 2010, in hi home.  He was born on August 4, 1941, in South Bend, Indiana, to Howard and Wanda (Topash) Cambell.  Robert was an elder and member of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi.  Services will be held at the Zimmerman-Inman Funeral Home on 1109 Lincoln Way on Tuesday, March 9, 2010.

Link to passing

Native American

 

The two top leaders of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odewa Indians of Michigan are fighting to keep their jobs as many tribal members are demanding their recall.

Chairman Ken Harrington and vice chairman Dexter McNamara say the they will fight the recall in court.  The tribal members are very upset with the performance of the two, and are demanding they lose their jobs

To read the entire story link   

Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi

 

Will be present at the "Share-a-thon" on March 21, with their traditional drumming and cultural instructors to teach the ways of the Potawatomi.

The instructors will be teaching the customs and traditions of the Potawatomi.  The even will run from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Music Center of South Central Michigan, located at 450 North Ave, in Michigan. 

Article link

 

Not a Native Native American Photo, it's a tee shirt someone is selling, I guess buying it for the tribal council members might not be a good idea for all the hard work that they do with very little appreciation.

 

FireKeepers

 

by

The Grand Rapids Press

FireKeepers is doing something I have not seen before, they are giving away a house in a drawing, participants must become members of the casino's players club, called the hot rewards club, the membership is free and you must be over 21 years old to qualify.

The winner will receive $25,000 in cash along with a 1,300 square foot new home, built by Summit Building Services L.L.C. of Battle Creek.

mlive.com link

Pokagon band of Potawatomi

Child care grants awarded by the federal government to tribes for the health and human service programs. 
 
Link to see awards

Tribal survival at stake

Indian Country Today

by

Carol Berry

5 part series

For the tribes children and grandchildren - tribal enrollment can mean inclusion or exclusion to ones cultural heritage.  Every tribe is just one generation away from extinction, according to Maylinn Smith, a Native American law professor. 

Plenty of Native Americans will survive because of their ability to be part of a tribe.  In Rapid City Iowa one such women exists, she has searched her lifetime for her relatives, she knows that she is Native American but she has to prove it, so she searchers in churches, friends and strangers, groups and bars.  She even searches on the streets,

Like so many Native Americans raised in non-Native American families, she feels both a closeness and distance to her adoptive family.  She was raised non Native American and now searches for her culture, her bloodline, for her true identity.  For whatever the reason may be, Indian child laws were not involved in her adoption like so many Native American children.

To read the entire controversial story link

Who's really the Indian?

Targeting the grandchildren link 

What's your status? 

The face off enrollment link 

  

Potawatomi

The Amish of Shipshewana

by

Peggy Langley

Nestled withing Lagrange County, Shipshewana, Indiana is Americas third largest Amish and Mennonite community.  The Amish are of Christian denomination that is characterized by simple dress and simple lifestyle.

Hundreds of years ago, the Potawatomi tribes lived in the same area.  They were hunters and fisherman and also farmers that cultivated the fertle lands and live comfortably by the simple lifestyle that came to an end around 1803, when Thomas Jefferson took over the lands through what is known as the Louisiana Purchase.

Militiamen soon came to the same lands as the Potawatomi and drove out more than eight hundred Potawatomi in what is now known as the "Trail of Death."  The Potawatomi Chief, known as "Shuw a wah no," or Shipshewana was among one of the Potawatomi force to relocate.

Settlers were attracted to the Potawatomi land because of the cheap price of the land, Amish settlers soon also took the land, building a small town on what was once the Potawatomi's land.

The source of this link

 

Native American Mascots

Living Lake Country

by

David Byrnes

On March 2, 2010.  The reporter Amy Nixon wrote an article title, "The end of the Indians?"  I knew even before I had read the article, what was going to be said.  It seems every few years that someone decides that the Mascot issue is not politically correct when referring to the American Indian.  The article refers to a high school senior, Rain Koepke and Representative Jim Soletski of Green Bay, The honorable Soletski wants to put an end to the use of the American Indian being used in an unfair stero typing way.

I don't get it;  Mukwonago was a Native American villiage, settled thru the Potawatomi Indians.  The name, "Mukwonago" means "The place of the bear."  I do not see how anyone is taking away from the Native Americans by the use of a mascot.  Don't get me wrong, I realize that the Native Americans had it bad in history, but I am part Irish and I am not offended at Saint Patricks day and the use of wearing green like we are leprechauns and drunks with green beer.  I just think that it is silly.  

If I have offended anyone, I apologize and realize that these words might offend some.   This is written by David Byrans, and not the Pokagon Times, that is why the Pokagon Times lists the links "The answer link" and "Spearheaded by Forest County Potawatomi."  Pokagon Times does not like mascots but covers news from others for Potawatomis to understand the other sides argument.

Pokagon Times has covered, extensively the issues on mascots and covers Forest Counties efforts to stop mascots usage, so please do not get mad at me for just reporting stories that end up in my mail box. (regarding comments, to see comments, click on the title of the story)




Article link
The answer link
Spearheaded by Forest County Potawatomi

 

Nottawasseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi

 

Tribal members will learn of the new changes before the public does regarding who will replace the great leader Laura Spurr.

The Nottawasseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi has about 1,100 tribal members and owns and operates the very popular FireKeepers casino that is one of the County's largest employers, employing about 1,500 people in the incredible looking 236,000 square-foot gambling facility.




News link

Prairie Band of Potawatomi

A Wedding Day Story

by

Chad and Jamie

The wedding took place at the Prairie People's Park on the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Reservation located in Mayetta, Kansas and the reception was held in Holton, Kansas.

Wedding photo's link
To see their blog link

Robert T. Coulter

 

Honorable Coulter is an attorney who specializes in the field of Indian law and International human rights.  He is the director of the Indian Law Resource Center in Helena, Montana and Washington D.C.  He is a member of the Citizen Band of Potawatomi and sits on the bench for the tribe.  His center helps protect Native American rights when they are violated. 




To read his principles of Indian law link

Unusual News

WPBN
Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.

Says that a robber robbed a local gas station then headed to Soaring Eagle.  The Isabella County Sheriffs Department says that the 38 year old Ypsilanti man held up the Pickard Shell gas station on Tuesday night and drove away to the casino.  Tribal Police actually saw the man arrive in the parking lot.  He was arrested when he entered.  Wow, thats so crazy I am laughing while I type.



Worlds dumbest criminal link

 

Land Rush

Bay View Compass

by

Anna Passante

In the mid 1830's settlers arrived to what is now known as Bay View, staking their claim in the future town of Lake /Bay view area.  The land surveys were not complete until 1836, however these early settlers had no legal right to settle the land.

To make matter even more complicated, in the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, the Potawatomi had ceded their land to the federal government.  And many of them would be forced to relocate of their land in 1838.

Bay view compass article link

Potawatomi Grant money

Seven millions dollars was received by 42 tribes for conservation purposes.
Grant link.