Potawatomi Culture

The history of the Potawatomi tribe is rich in honor, tradition and emotion. Spirituality, perseverance and love for all living things sustained the Potawatomi people through dark days when, after hundreds of years of self-sufficiency, the tribe endured tremendous suffering and loss due to forced removal from their lands.

The Potawatomi lived close to the Ottawa and Chippewa tribes, and this proximity, along with sharing similar languages and culture, encouraged the three tribes to form an alliance. The Potawatomi were given the task of keeping alive the Sacred Fire.

In the early 1800s, major portions of Potawatomi lands were ceded to the U.S. government. Following the Treaty of Chicago in 1833, most of the Potawatomi people were forcibly taken from tribal lands. Many perished en route to new territory in the west in a march that became known as “The Trail of Death.” Some tribe members rebelled against this forced exodus and refused to leave the Great Lakes Region. The Forest County Potawatomi are descendants of these proud people.

The tribe was formally organized into the Forest County Potawatomi Nation under a constitution and bylaws ratified by the tribe in 1937. Today, the Forest County Potawatomi Nation includes more than 1,200 enrolled members.

Spirituality, perseverance and love for all living things continue to guide us. The Potawatomi people place tremendous importance in the moral worth and character of every person, principles demonstrated in the diversity of our workforce. We are proud of the wide range of cultures, backgrounds and points of view represented in our valued team members.