The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is located one mile west of Mayetta, Kan. Originally located in the upper northeast region of the United States, the tribe migrated into Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and the area around present-day Chicago as early settlers developed the northeastern region. The tribe stayed in that area as the European settlers gradually moved in.

During the 1930s, the Indian Removal Act allowed the movement of the Potawatomi Tribe to Missouri. In the following years, they were moved from Missouri to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and then to Jackson County, Kan., where they are located today.

In 1968, the tribe split into two separate bands: the Citizens’ Band and the Prairie Band. Both are still active today. The Prairie Band recently developed several programs to educate tribal members and to develop the reservation. These programs were made possible through government grants and revenue from Harrah’s Prairie Band Casino, located approximately 15 miles north of Topeka, Kansas. With revenue from the casino, the tribe has built several new buildings on the reservation, including a fire station, senior community center, tribal administration building and an addition to the Headstart preschool. Grants have provided basic improvements on the reservation. To learn more about the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, visit Chapters in Time.

The Prairie Band is also very concerned with preserving its heritage. In an attempt to preserve the traditional Potawatomi language, the tribe has developed several educational programs to teach young members how to speak it. Only 20 tribal members still speak the native tongue and the nation has gone to great lengths to prevent its extinction.

To learn more about the Potawatomi language including sound clips, history and other lingual resources, follow this link to Potawatomi Web.