Potawatomi Facts

Potawatomi Indian Facts

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• Potawatomi means keepers of the fire. They called them selves Neshback and Bodéwadomi.
• Potawatomi Indians had a government, police, laws, and services.
• They had a chief for different clans.
• Bozho means a nice greeting in Potawatomi.
• Iwgwieh means thank you in Potawatomi.
• Their transportation was canoes and walking.
• They spoke English and Potawatomi.
• They told stories that were important to their culture. The stories were legends and fairy tales.
• For fun they danced.
• Women did Bead work.
• Children played with dolls and toys just like they do now.
• The older boys and men hunted deer, buffalo, and beaver.
• The men and older boys fished.
• The older boys played lacrosse.
• Older girls played double shinny, which is the girl version of lacrosse but less violent.
• The Potawatomi Indians lived in South Michigan, Northern Wisconsin, Northern Indiana, Central Illinois, and Ontario Canada. The Indians were also forced to migrate west.
• The weather varied by what season it is or what region they are in just like now.
• Their religions were and are Catholicism, Methodism, and Midewiwin.
• The food that they ate was wild rice, summer squash, nuts, corn, beans, fish, berries, roots, wild greens, and they hunted animals such as deer, buffalo, elk, and beaver.  They also grew tobacco.
• The Potawatomi shelters are wigwams and Long Houses.

This is a picture of a wigwam.

           

This a picture of a Potawatomi Native American.