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A.B.L.E. Commission Litigation


In 2011, the State of Oklahoma sued the Citizen Potawatomi Nation asserting the CPN had no right to sell alcohol on Sundays at tribal enterprises. Referencing a 2004 gaming compact signed by the CPN, the state of Oklahoma argued that, because the CPN violated conditions of the compact, it could revoke CPN licenses to sell alcohol through the Alcoholic Beverage …

Allotment


Allotment was a process by which reservation lands held in common by a tribal community were split up and allotted to individual tribal members. The purpose of allotment, as with the 1861 treaty signed by the Potawatomi and the Dawes Act of 1887, was to undermine the legitimacy of tribal governments and open Native land to white settlement. This was …

Barrett, David Joe


David Joe Barrett is a native of Tecumseh, Oklahoma, and descendant of Marguerite Bourassa, Mnitoqua “Spirit Woman,” a full blood Potawatomi who married Leon Bourassa who was a boatman for American Fur Co. and clerked for his uncle Joseph Bertrand. His Potawatomi name is Mnedobe, meaning, “Sits with Spirit.” He has served as the legislator for District 10 since June …

Barrett, John A. “Rocky”


John A. Barrett, Jr. is a native of Shawnee, Oklahoma, and a graduate of Shawnee High School. His Potawatomi name is Kiweoge, meaning, “He Leads Them Home.” Chairman Barrett has served as an elected official for the Citizen Potawatomi Nation since 1973 when he was first elected as Vice-Chairman. Tribal Chairman since 1985, Barrett is the eighth generation of his …

Bertrand, Benjamin Hendre


Benjamin Hendre Bertrand was born June 25, 1812 in Berrien Country, Michigan to Madeline Bourassa and Joseph Bertrand. Like his cousins Joseph and Jude Bourassa, Benjamin attended the school at Carey Mission at the age of 7. He later transferred to a private school in Detroit, Michigan and then reunited with his Bourassa family at the Choctaw Academy at White …

Bourassa, Joseph Napoleon


Joseph Napoleon Bourassa was born March 19, 1810 in Michigan, the eldest child of Daniel Bourassa II and Theotis Pisange. As a youth, Joseph and his brother Jude were enrolled at the school at Carey Mission, under the guidance of Baptist missionaries Reverend Isaac McCoy and Dr. Johnston Lykins. Excellent students, both were invited to attend the Hamilton Literary & …

Boursaw, Jon


Jon Boursaw is a native of Kansas and a descendant of the Bourassa and Ogee families. His Potawatomi name is Wetase Mkoh, meaning, “Brave Bear.” He has served as the legislator for District 4 since June 2013, when he beat incumbent Theresa Adame to represent Tribal members of Kansas. Jon is a descendent of two early Potawatomi leaders: Joseph Napoleon …

Bowden, Bobbi


Bobbi Bowden is a native of Choctaw, Oklahoma, and descendant of the Trombla Family. She carries on the name Pkuhshnoqua, given to her great-great-grandmother Rozetta Trombla Bowden has served as the legislator for District 13 since June 2008, since the CPN constitution was ratified in 2007 to include representation for the entire United States. Prior to that, she served for …

Capps, Linda


As Vice-Chairman of Citizen Potawatomi Nation, Linda Capps holds the second-highest elected position in the Tribal government. Vice-Chairman Capps received a Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in 1975. She also attained her Master of Science in Education from the University of Central Oklahoma in 1986. In 2014, she was awarded an …

Carney, Dave


Dave Carney was born New Jersey and descendant of Narcisse Juneau. His Potawatomi name is Kagasghi, meaning, “Raven” that was given to him by Chairman John “Rocky” Barrett. He has served as the legislator for District 8 since June 2009. One of four children, Carney grew up in various places around the country including Pennsylvania, Alabama and Southern California. He …