The Potawatomi, also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie, are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquin family.

What does the name Potawatomi mean?

The Potawatomi are an Algonkian-speaking tribe which has lived in the Great Lakes region for at least four centuries. ... In their own language, the word Potawatomi means "Keepers of the Sacred Fire," but they call themselves Neshnabek, which means "the True People."

Where did the Potawatomi tribe come from?

Potawatomi, Algonquian-speaking tribe of North American Indians who were living in what is now northeastern Wisconsin, U.S., when first observed by Europeans in the 17th century.