The Potawatomi Indians were a Native American tribe in the Great Lakes region of the US. They were forcibly relocated in the 1830s, but today the tribe is settled in the US and Canada. They share the Algonquian language family with the Ottawa and Chippewa tribes. The Potawatomi adapted to their surroundings as hunter-gatherers and later learned agriculture. Today, there are several recognized groups of Potawatomi tribes in different states, with the Citizen Potawatomi of Oklahoma being the largest.
The Potawatomi Indians are a Native American tribe who once inhabited the Great Lakes region of the United States. The US government began a forced relocation of the Potawatomi Indians in the 1830s, with the military leading Native American tribes into several states in areas west of the Mississippi River. Today the population of the Potawatomi tribe is settled in many areas of both the United States and Canada. There are various speculations about the origin of the name Potawatomi, but it is commonly believed that it derives from the Ojibwe language, which means “Locals of the fire”, or translations with similar words.
The nation of Potawatomi Indians began with a large group of peoples traveling together to Lake Huron. The group split into three distinct Native American tribes: the Potawatomi, the Ottawa, and the Chippewa, also known as the Ojibwe. These three tribes share the Algonquian language family, with closely related dialects. It is believed by members of the tribe that the name “Potawatomi” was bestowed upon the Indian nation by the Ojibwe, because the Potawatomi were responsible for maintaining council fire for the three related tribes.
The Potawatomi Indians provided for their tribe by adapting to their surroundings. They originally existed as hunter-gatherer tribes, subsisting on fish, maple syrup, wild rice, and waterfowl. When circumstances required that they move their people to Wisconsin, the Potawatomi learned agriculture from their new neighboring tribes, quickly adding gardens of corn, beans, squash, and medicinal herbs to their foundation.
In the 1820s, the United States government began legislation that would eventually lead to the removal of Native American tribes from their homelands. This legislation passed in the Indian Removal Act of 1830, when the government forcibly moved Native Americans onto lands west of the Mississippi River. At this time many of the Potawatomi Indians fled to northern areas including upper Michigan and Canada.
The nation of Potawatomi Indians is established in the United States and Canada. There are several recognized groups of Native American tribes, with reservations in several states. The largest group of Potawatomi Indians are the Citizen Potawatomi of Oklahoma. The Citizen Potawatomi are based in Shawnee, Oklahoma where they are quite influential, own many local businesses and operate a museum on Potawatomi history. Other Potawatomi nations include the Prairie Band in Kansas, Forest County Community in Wisconsin, Hannahville in Illinois, and Pokagon, Nottawaseppi, and Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish in Michigan.
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