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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 15, 2022

CONTACT: 
Michaela Welch, Marketing and Communications Manager
College of the Menominee Nation
mwelch@menominee.edu (715) 799-6226, ext. 3153 

FALCON 2022 Annual Conference 
College of Menominee Nation staff and students in attendance 

KESHENA, Wisc. – The 18th Annual First Americans Land Grant Consortium (FALCON) Conference was held October 21-25, 2022 in Old Town, Albuquerque, New Mexico. College of Menominee Nation (CMN) had a handful of staff and students attend the conference. 

The conference included pre- and post-conference workshops, with Carrie Billy, CEO and President of American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) delivering the keynote address. Sessions from the conference covered 1994 land-grant teaching, extension programs and research that benefits Native communities.

CMN President Chris Caldwell gave the keynote address on day two of the conference. This is what Tribal College Journal said of Caldwell’s address: 

“... Caldwell explained how tribal colleges serve as a means to transfer Indigenous knowledge from one generation to the next. He elaborated specifically on CMN’s sustainability programs as well as its partnerships with USDA, NIFA, and other Land Grant institutions, most notably historically Black colleges and universities.” 

Also in attendance were 20 students from the Sustainability Leadership Cohort and Wildcrafting group. They were able to visit the Institute of American Indian Arts and Southwestern Polytechnic Institute. The students and Bonnie McKiernan gifted medicinal tea to the AIHEC President Carrie Billy. 

FALCON was created to support 1994 land-grant institutions helping to establish connections and assists on a peer-to-peer level with administrators. 

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Reference:

"FALCON Conference a Resounding Success," Tribal College Journal, October 24, 2022, https://tribalcollegejournal.org/falcon-conference-a-resounding-success/  

The Seven Generations Inter-Tribal Leadership Summit will take place September 29 & 30th, 2022 at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College, in partnership with the College of Menominee Nation and the University of Wisconsin System.

This leadership series will provide a forum for tribal leadership, educators, students, elders and community members to:

• Learn from educators and industry professionals in four key areas:

  • Education/Technology/Culture & Language Reclamation

  • Economic/Workforce Development

  • Health/Medicine/Safety

  • Environment:  Research, Protection, Policy/Legislation

• Expand their networks and develop new partnerships

• Practice visioning for the future

• Engage in discourse concerning various interests for tribal communities

• Ground ourselves in our culture while looking to the future

Registration

Registration opens on August 30th, 2022.

Students and Elders can enjoy free admission, while Professionals may register for $199.

Register Now

Call for Presenters

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College (LCOOC), College of Menominee Nation (CMN), and the University of Wisconsin-System invite those interested in presenting at its 2022 Seven Generations Inter-Tribal Leadership – Innovation in Education Summit to submit a proposal for review by our Summit Planning Committee.

Speaker proposals are evaluated objectively with consideration of the following criteria:

• Degree to which the proposed session meets the summit/program objectives

• Speaker's presentation skills and experience

• Desirability of the topic

• COVID-19 topics will be considered in the topic of health and safety

Presentations are 1 hour, including 15 minutes for questions.

To have your proposal considered for sponsorship by the Seven Generations Summit, your proposal must meet the following minimum criteria:

• The topic must be relevant to the mission and activities of the particular group you are seeking sponsorship from

• The topic proposal and the experience of the presenter must be of a high caliber.

Submit a Presentation Proposal

For more information, as well as to see sponsorship and vendor opportunities, we encourage you to visit the official Summit page, hosted by the Lac Court Oreilles Ojibwe College site.

7-Gen Summit

CMN will be hosting their 2022 Commencement at the Menominee Casino Resort Conference Center on Saturday, May 21 in the Five Clans Ballroom. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. 

This event will require individuals to be masked and socially distanced.

For more details, please visit our Commencement 2022 landing page.

KESHENA, WI -- 

On Friday, May 6, College of Menominee Nation (CMN) President Christopher Caldwell, Tribal Resilience Liaison Sara Smith, and Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) Director Thomas Kenote, Jr., visited the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment to attend a meeting regarding climate change initiatives in the midwest. President Caldwell and Smith participated in this roundtable with United States Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Minnesota (MN) Senator Tina Smith, MN Representative Betty McCollum, and MN Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flannagan. Other tribal representatives of the MW CASC (Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center) were present, including GLIFWC (The Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission) and the University of Minnesota.

President Caldwell and Smith reflected and spoke on the history of their work engaging with the Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) network. President Caldwell spoke about student development and the importance of tribal climate change adaptation. “This was a great opportunity for CMN and SDI to interact with Secretary Haaland. As a tribal college, it is our focus to make sure our students are equipped to help their communities,” stated Caldwell. Smith’s in-depth conversation about relationship-building and engagement with tribes across the midwest was well-received.

After the roundtable discussion, public remarks were given by Secretary Haaland and other representatives about the importance of tribal climate change adaptation and celebration of the MW CASC. Director Kenote participated in the roundtable as an observer, saying, “This event marked the official celebration and opening of our Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center consortium. It’s important for Tribal nations and Tribal institutions to have a seat at the table. Tribal communities are the most impacted when it comes to climate change, and we also hold solutions to address the impacts of climate change that are rooted in Indigenous knowledge”.  

Find more information on the work from this amazing collaboration by finding the Sustainable Development Institute online or on Facebook, where they share regular updates of the various projects taking place.

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The College of Menominee Nation is a tribal Land Grant college, chartered by the Menominee people. The College's main campus is in Keshena, Wisconsin, with a second located in metropolitan Green Bay, not far from the tribal lands of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. More information about CMN can be found at www.menominee.edu 

The Sustainable Development Institute ensures the principles of sustainability committed to by the College of Menominee Nation and integrated into Menominee culture and values, influencing the activities of the Institute, the College, the community, and the tribe. The Sustainable Development Institute supports and advances sustainable ways through a variety of initiatives. More information can be found about SDI at https://www.menominee.edu/sustainable-development-institute 

Established in 2021, the Midwest CASC provides regionally-relevant scientific information, tools, and techniques to resource managers and communities in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. More information can be found at usgs.gov/programs/climate-adaptation-science-centers/midwest-casc