Wech-ksenyak [north], translated as “where the cold is”, is where Mother Earth is purified by snow and home to our winter season bbon. White is the color of this direction. With hair the color of snow, North is the place of our elders. We are reminded of the stories and teachings they gift us, as we weather the cold in …
Led by prominent warriors Mackisabe, the elder Winemac and Madouche, the Potawatomi, along with allied France and other Great Lakes nations, enlisted to quell disruptive Meskwaki [Fox] attacks on the lucrative western fur trade and neighboring tribes. Angered that their Siouan enemies acquired weapons and supplies via the trade network, the Meskwaki [Fox] raided, killed and pillaged villages, merchants, and …
The Frapp’s association with the Tribe began with the marriage of John B. Frapp and Josette Wilmette. Josette was the daughter of Archange Chevallier and Antoine Wilmette (Ouilmette), who were early residents of present-day Chicago. The community of Wilmette, Illinois, north of Chicago still bears the family’s name. In the 1830s, many of the Wilmette family emigrated to Council Bluffs, …
As the British colonies expanded and outgrew their western borders, expeditions to secure and safeguard land and resources developed into regional battles between the colonies of New France and Great Britain. The mid-18th century was a violent period for Potawatomi and other Woodland tribes. As British colonies spilled into eastern lands, western expeditions to secure territory and resources for Great …
Potawatomi made first contact with Europeans indirectly through warfare. By the 1600s, the Anglo-Dutch allied Iroquois Confederacy had depleted all the valuable pelts east of the St. Lawrence River and began raiding Algonquin tribes in Michigan. The invaders were looking to control the untapped resources of the western Great Lakes. Outmatched by superior weaponry, the Potawatomi and other tribes of …
The Gathering of Potawatomi Nations is hosted each summer by one of the nine tribes of Potawatomi, providing an opportunity for members of all tribes to come together and celebrate their Potawatomi heritage. It includes a language conference, cultural workshops, youth events, crafting classes, sporting events, and language classes. Gathering begins with the lighting of the fire that burns for …
12in [diameter] The basket, constructed from wigwas [birch bark], wishkbemishkos [sweet grass] and gawey [porcupine quills], was originally commissioned as a gift for a spiritual leader among the Three Fires communities of Bkejwanong [Walpole Island], Ontario, Canada. It was designed to honor the leader’s clan [Bear], the Clan’s role as keepers or protectors of the medicine and the various types …
Giwani [Keewaunay] was a headman and warrior of the Wabash Potawatomi. He was one of many Potawatomi who resisted William Henry Harrison’s encroachment on Native lands at the Battle of Tippecanoe and War of 1812. Present-day Lake Bruce, Indiana was the site of his village and important removal negotiations during the 1830s. Giwani’s name can be found among the treaties …
The negosek (stars) and their constellations help steer our thoughts and teachings, as much of our ancient knowledge originates from the sky. Each season the sky changes and familiar constellations are seen again. Aligned with the North Pole, Giwedno Negos is considered one of the brightest and most important stars in the sky. From Turtle Island, all stars appear to …
The final moon of dgwaget was Giwségises or Hunting Moon. Taught at an early age, men were instructed by their fathers and uncles how to use the bow, spear and snare to hunt game large and small. Potawatomi used the village orchards that provided beechnuts, acorns and chestnuts in early fall as hunting and trapping grounds for foraging deer, turkey …