Cedar is used to bless, purify and protect. Potawatomi use cedar and its smoke in our ceremonies to defend from and combat evil spirits.
The Indian Territory land runs remain some of the most notable events in the state’s history. The six that took place between 1889 and 1895 helped pave the way to Oklahoma statehood in November of 1907. Many people associate them with a feeling of excitement in the air as pioneers and cowboys waited to claim their new property in uninhabited …
One particular member of the Lewis family played an integral part in the establishment of what is present-day Wanette, Oklahoma. His children, with a member of the Bergeron family, would further establish the family’s roots in what would later become Pottawatomie County. Wesley Lewis was born April 22, 1838, near Asthabula, Ohio, to Sylvester and Anna (Smith) Lewis. When he …
64in L x 45in W x 48in H The Chandler and Price printing press was used at Sacred Heart Mission and later St. Gregory’s University. The press was used to print religious and educational materials, notices and one of the earliest publications in Oklahoma, the Indian Advocate. The printing press is on loan from the Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art and …
23in W x 45in L The dress was made by Citizen Potawatomi tribal member Julia Navarre and worn by Eva L. Navarre, Viola A. Navarre and granddaughter Gladys B. Small. It is made of a light brown cotton material and yarn [white, orange, red and green]. A handwritten note that was donated with the dress reads, “dress worn by Eva …
50in L x 21in W x 21in D The wedding dress was worn by tribal member Mary Anderson when she married Antoine Bourbonnais around 1855. The dress is made of leather and decorated with beadwork and tapestry. The mjegode’ [wedding dress] is part of the permanent collection and on exhibition at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center.
13in L x 8.5in W x 1.5in H The 234-page medical journal was researched and recorded by Joseph Napoleon Bourassa, who studied medicine at the Choctaw Academy and had close relationships with traditional medicine men before and after removal. Listed are health conditions and their medicinal therapies. Each treatment is recorded as a recipe, noting wild plants harvested and processed. …
63.5in L x 2.5in H x 1.25in W The long bow was crafted by tribal member Thomas Melot in the 1930s from wood known as Bois d’arc or commonly Osage orange. The mtegwab [bow] is over five feet in length and has a central grip. The bow is part of the permanent collection and on exhibition at the Citizen Potawatomi …
Father Albert Negahnquet, also known as Dom Bede, was Citizen Potawatomi and the first full‐blood American Indian ordained Roman Catholic priest in the United States. Oral stories tell us that at a young age, Albert “wanted to educate the Potawatomi people in the teachings of the Bible in their own language.” Understanding his son’s path, Albert’s father Nebawqua or Stephen …
Born on the Kansas River Reservation, Stephen Negahnquet quickly rose to become a community fixture in Kansas. After the Treaty of 1867, he removed with his family to Indian Territory and was allotted several sections of land. He is listed on the 1872 Citizen Potawatomi allotment census as well as recorded first on the 1887 Dawes allotment census. On the …