Seal of the Potawatomi View

The seal seen to the left is one created by Beverly Hughes in the 1970's. Beverly Hughes is a tribe elder of a Potawatomi community in Oklahoma, but this seal is often used by communities across the US. The seal depicts a fire with seven logs under it, which signifies the seven recognized Potawatomi communities currently present in the United States. There are also ‘Seven Grandfather Teachings’, “…wisdom, respect, love, honesty, humility, bravery, and truth toward each other and all creation” (Potawatomi 2020). The fire on the barrette could be understood to be a reference to the seal of the Potawatomi, and the relationship between its members. It is also said of the picture on the seal, “Fire is the symbol of the warmth of life and friendship, and the wisdom of the council fire” (CPN Public Information 2016), and this idea further supporting this ideal of the importance of tribal members relations.