October Hownikan Article
In my September Hownikan article, I promised to share more about the Bodéwadmi Confederation. This is a condensed version from my website - https://www.cpndistrict1.com/news
For some, the idea of twelve communities working together formally may raise questions. We’ve gathered and supported one another informally, so why take the step of building something new?
Because what we are doing today may not be enough tomorrow.
Since 1994, our annual Potawatomi Gatherings have brought us together to share dance, food, language, and kinship. Our leaders discuss important topics yet rarely act together. When we return home, each nation faces the world alone – negotiating with governments, defending treaties, securing resources, keeping languages alive, and creating opportunities for the next generation.
When seven Potawatomi nations signed the Articles of Confederation in 2023, it was historic. Article I states our purpose: promoting unity, cooperation, and mutual support. Article V empowers coordinated initiatives in economic development, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and political advocacy. Some have asked about the phrase “political advocacy”. In this context, it means ensuring we speak for ourselves wherever our rights may be questioned.
Protecting Sovereignty While Building Strength
It’s fair to ask how this will work in practice. The Articles affirm each Nation’s sovereignty. The Executive Council is not a ruling body but a coordinating one - it cannot bind any Nation against its will. Leadership rotates, ensuring no Nation dominates. CPN would chair the Confederation in 2027. No Nation is required to take part in initiatives it does not agree with.
This approach safeguards independence while creating room to act together when it benefits us all.
Examples can be found elsewhere – the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, Wabanaki Confederacy, and the Blackfoot Confederacy. The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission brought four nations together to protect salmon. The Intertribal Council of Arizona demonstrates how 21 tribes amplify their collective voice.
For Potawatomi, a Confederation could mean stronger advocacy in courts and legislatures, where twelve governments representing tens of thousands cannot be ignored. It could mean better coordination on protecting the Great Lakes and our watersheds, building sustainable economies, sharing language and cultural resources, or streamlining repatriation efforts. Cooperation was the strength of our ancestors, and it remains key to our survival today.
Addressing Canadian First Nations Questions
I’ve also heard questions about including Canadian Nations and navigating different political systems. But our relatives didn't stop being Potawatomi when they escaped removal. Our relatives in Ontario carried language, ceremony, and community through the same struggles we did. The 1833 Treaty of Chicago was signed by the “United Nation of Chippewa, Ottowa, and Potawatamie Indians,” showing how our peoples were connected. The Confederation helps us return to that unity.
In Closing
As one of the largest Potawatomi nations with nearly 40,000 citizens, we bring perspective reflecting the wider Potawatomi diaspora. We have built a diversified economy and shown that self-governance can be rebuilt and sustained.
I know our leaders have weighed this question with care. CPN has faced many threats to sovereignty in Oklahoma, which makes us cautious and deliberate, and I respect that others may view this path differently.
We carry a unique history as among the first to reorganize after removal. That gives us responsibility. We need not hesitate out of fear of losing independence but should move forward with confidence that together we may accomplish more than any nation alone.
The Confederation is moving forward. The question is whether we will help shape it from the beginning, or step into something built without our input. I hope we meet this historic moment and help build a future worthy of our ancestors and grandchildren.
