^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Pokagon Band of the Potawatomi Indians - Michigan (U.S.)

Native American

image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 16 January 2011

The band
The flag

See also:

The Band

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
Pokégnek Bodéwadmik

Tribal recognition was restored and signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians distribute services to its approximately 3634 membership. The tribe has a ten county service area, four being in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northwestern Indiana. The headquarters of the band are located in Dowagiac, Michigan. The tribe owns and operates the Four Winds Casino Resort. It is said that, were it on the Las Vegas Strip, it would be the second largest there.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 16 January 2011

The Flag

The flag of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians features the seal of the Nation developed in 1970s during the Band's long struggle for federal recognition.

"The seal represents the story of how fire was brought to the Néshnabek. Fire is a gift to the people, brought by the hawk as a piece of the sun. This is particularly important to the Potawatomi since our name means "he builds a fire" and refers to the role the Potawatomi played as keepers of the fire in the Three Fires Confederacy with the Odawa and Ojibwe. The drawing is centered within a round border, symbolizing the centering of all life within the four directions of Mother Earth. In the years following the Band's 1994 federal reaffirmation, the seal was redesigned. The community felt that the seal still had relevance to the tribe and its mission. The seal was updated to include the vibrant colors of traditional woodlands design, and was also incorporated into a flag on a yellow background."
(from 'Flag and Logo History' by Kevin Daugherty)
Chrystian Kretowicz, 16 January 2011