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2013 CPN Heritage/Family Reunion Festival, Shawnee, Oklahoma

I've returned from the 2013 CPN Heritage/Family Reunion Festival with a new four-year term of service as your Legislator. Thank you for your confidence in me and it will be a privilege to work for you as your representative.

As always, the Festival proved to be a whirlwind weekend full of activities from learning to make quill earrings, to running a 5-K race starting from the Wellness Center, to casting my ballot at the Tribal Court in the CPN Administration Building, to bowling and mini-golf and playing Apples to Apples with my niece and nephews, to naming Potawatomis at the lovely Sharp House prayer circle, while listening to Justin Neely's drumming and singing, to touring our almost-complete, incredible Firelake Grand Casino Hotel and adjoining Arena, to taking home a good amount of cash as a result of bidding on the winning team -- the CPN District #2 Hand Games team, of course -- during Friday night's Hand Games competition. I am particularly proud that our Language Department and other CPN members comprised the drum for the Hand Games competition, playing and singing through the night to spur on our competition. I know that they have been working hard to make this happen.

Here are photos that either I took during the Festival or one of our CPN Public Affairs staff took and put online and that I borrowed. I hope the photos give you a good sense of the weekend, but please note that I only captured a small portion of available activities and meaningful events, and did not capture the sense of pleasure at being together with other Citizen Potawatomis (though maybe a bit through the laughing eyes and smiles)!