Land Acknowledgment Resources
Learning from the Bodéwadmik / Potawatomi
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center
This center in Shawnee, Oklahoma was established by descendants of the Potawatomi who survived the 1838 Trail of Death and other forced removals. While serving as a teaching tool for tribal members, it is also a visual feast for settler descendants who want to learn about Potawatomi history and culture. The timeline provides a concise illustrated overview. Twenty minute videos for each of the ten galleries cover origin stories, migrations, contact with Europeans, removal, forced assimilation, resiliency and more. A virtual tour of the museum galleries is close to completion.
The Seven Generation River. Great Lakes Now and Detroit Public Television, January 2019 27 min.
Pokagon Band initiatives in cultural preservation and environmental restoration. Documentary begins at 1:40 min.
Watch on YouTube (for small mobile devices)
Additional documentaries on Potawatomi land and water restoration
- Restoring Indiana’s Wetlands: Pokagon Band (2019) 11 min.
- Mnomen – The Good Seed Re-Awakens (2019) 25 min.
- Then, Now, and Always – The St. Joseph River Story (2021) 57 min.
Learning Opportunities for Settler Descendants
Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition: A Movement of Anabaptist People of Faith. The Coalition is “a group of Anabaptist leaders who work together to mobilize church communities to dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery.” The website has a link to download the study curriculum based on the documentary below. Two key publications, Land Acknowledgment Guide and Stories of Repair may be requested on the site. The Coalition has a blog, a speaker’s bureau and other educational resources. Members of the Repair Congregations and Communities Network meet quarterly by Zoom for sharing and encouragement. Recommended resources.
Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition. Doctrine of Discovery in the Name of Christ. 2015. 44 min.
Historical, Biblical, and theological background. Contemporary challenges and possible responses.
Watch on YouTube (for small mobile devices)
Luke Gascho. The History of the Potawatomi Tribe in Elkhart County and Settler Impacts on the Tribe. GC Talks (Goshen College). October 2, 2020 59 min.
This webinar is a comprehensive introduction for those interested in Potawatomi life before and after European settlement.
Watch on YouTube (for small mobile devices)
Luke Gascho. The History of the Potawatomi Tribe in Elkhart County and Settler Impacts on the Tribe. Eighth Street Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana. February 21, 2021.
In this webinar, Gascho elaborates on many of the themes of the Goshen College session above. He provides more detail on the Elkhart Prairie, the Eighth Street Church property, Greencroft Goshen, and the trail used by Indigenous Peoples for centuries.