James Crawford, the chairman of Forest County Potawatomi Community, addresses the Republican National Convention on July 16, 2024.

Crawford spoke on the second night of the Republican Party’s presidential nominating convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His tribal nation maintains a strong historic and ongoing presence in the state’s largest city.

“Our ancestors occupied these lands for hundreds of years, fishing area rivers and lakes, hunting the land, tapping maple tree groves for sugar, and harvesting crops and fields each fall,” Crawford said at the Fiserv Forum.

“The Potawatomi connection to Milwaukee continues,” Crawford added. “Today, our tribe is part of what makes Milwaukee a great place to live and work.”

“And while we are best known for entertainment and tourism, our tribe is also a part of the fabric of this community through our construction, technology, and real estate business ventures and the charitable work our foundation does with community nonprofits,” the chairman said.