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As a Land Grant institution of higher education chartered by the Menominee People,
the College of Menominee Nation infuses learning with American Indian culture and prepares students for leadership, careers, and advanced studies in a multicultural world.
The College commits to research and promotion, perpetuation,
and nurturance of American Indian language and scholarship.

We encourage you to investigate and choose one
of our twenty-one available programs to forge your own path.

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Associate

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At a Glance

The College of Menominee Nation strives to be a place for both Native and non-Native students, staff, and faculty alike to learn, grow, and collaborate in an environment befitting and exemplifying of our Vision, Mission, and Values. We are dedicated to providing a space that reflects these ideals and builds upon them in a sustainable, enriching fashion, and we look forward to your involvement in these efforts.

Tāq Wāēh Pāpīhcekeyah
Why Wait?

Our Highlights

For Immediate Release: College of Menominee Nation Continues Work on Neopit Outreach Center

Since 2022, the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) has engaged with the Neopit community to imagine a deeper presence there grounded in reciprocity. In late December 2024, CMN and architectural design firm EUA held listening sessions with Neopit community members, leading to the development of remodel plans for the CMN Neopit Outreach Center.

January 14th, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Sharon Waukau, CMN Neopit Outreach Coordinator
shwaukau@menominee.edu
715-799-5600

College of Menominee Nation Continues Work
on Neopit Outreach Center

KESHENA, WI AND NEOPIT, WI –

Since 2022, the College of Menominee Nation (CMN) has engaged with the Neopit community to imagine a deeper presence there grounded in reciprocity. In late December 2024, CMN and architectural design firm EUA held listening sessions with Neopit community members, leading to the development of remodel plans for the CMN Neopit Outreach Center.

Today, CMN continues to build on the ideas and needs identified during these listening sessions. President Chris Caldwell stated, “We are excited to be at the point we are at now, and to continue looking forward and growing with the Neopit community.”

Newly hired CMN Neopit Outreach Center Coordinator, Sharon Waukau, said, “When we look at the assets of the College and the assets of the community, the people and our relationships are our greatest strengths.”

The College aims to transform this space into a vibrant hub that fosters education, training, engagement, creativity, and well-being. To accomplish this, we will continue to engage citizens, employers, government, and other partners with similar hopes in realizing this success. Moving forward, we will continue to work within the community to develop programming that benefits all parties.

The next community event at the CMN Neopit Outreach Center will be held on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 5:00 pm.

For more information, please call our Main campus line at 715-799-6226.

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About the College of Menominee Nation

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 campus 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

Neopit

College of Menominee Nation Dean's List for Fall 2025

After each semester, Academic Affairs posts a listing of students who received honors for the term being completed. To achieve honors, the student must have a term GPA of 3.5 or higher. CMN has implemented a system that utilizes the Menominee Language to recognize each distinction.

The following students have achieved honors, noted with the distinction.

After each semester, Academic Affairs posts a listing of full-time students who received honors for the term being completed. To achieve honors, the student must have a term GPA of 3.5 or higher and have taken 12 or more credits in the semester. CMN has implemented a system that utilizes the Menominee Language to recognize each distinction.

The following students have achieved honors, noted with the distinction.

Kāēhkēnamok Kaehkenam – Honors G.P.A. between 3.500 – 3.7499
Kenew Awonohopay
Ashaylex Awonohopay
Jamie Decorah
Gracyn Habeck
Tahnee Harrison
Lavender Martin
Mary Mault
Richard Oshkeshequoam
Austin Peters
Riley Tucker
Shalynn Webster
Nicole White

Nahēqtawak Naheqtaw – High Honors G.P.A. between 3.750 – 3.999
John Anderson
Alexis Corn
Desiray Draghi
Sara Kelley
Rulee McIntyre
Philip Ornelas
Jaime Oshkeshequoam
Tina Roskom
Christapher Tourtillott
Hepahnah Waukau
Donna Waupoose
Jennie White
Kyle Witt

Napuahkawak Napuahkaw – Highest Honors G.P.A. of 4.0
Tanya Anderson
Krysanda Bissonette
Margaret Cornelius
Brooke Demarce
Tatum DePerry-Bell
Jonathan Frion
Kenane Hill
Victoria Hill
Meghan Lohmiller
Autumn Mahkimetas
Sydney Mitchell
Taylesia Pamonicutt
Elizabeth Patterson
Tanya Skenandore
Rose Tourtillott
Brandon Warrington
Gracie Waukechon
Susan Webster
Alec White

College of Menominee Nation is proud to be a part of these students' academic journey.

honor roll / dean's list
student matters

The back side of the main halls at our Keshena campus. Several windows have their blinds drawn shut.

College of Menominee Nation Announces Landmark Gift, Strengthening Dreams for Our Future

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) is honored to announce the receipt of a landmark charitable gift to our institution from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation. This transformative $10 million unrestricted investment demonstrates a deep understanding and confidence in the College’s mission and decision-making when it comes to serving our students and communities. This gift is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all who have helped in the perpetuation of the College’s purpose and vision.

November 21st, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:

CMN President, Dr. Christopher Caldwell
715-799-6226, ext. 3031
melcook@menominee.edu

College of Menominee Nation Announces Landmark Gift,
Strengthening Dreams for Our Future

KESHENA, WI –

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) is honored to announce the receipt of a landmark charitable gift to our institution from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation. This transformative $10 million unrestricted investment demonstrates a deep understanding and confidence in the College’s mission and decision-making when it comes to serving our students and communities. This gift is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all who have helped in the perpetuation of the College’s purpose and vision.

Founded on principles of cultural integrity, self-determination, lifelong learning, and sustainability, the College of Menominee Nation serves our students as they prepare to be the next leaders and makers of more vibrant and sustainable communities. This historic gift significantly enhances CMN’s capacity to provide high-quality academic programs, bolster support structures for student success, and create further professional and academic pathways.

“This remarkable act of generosity and kindness arrives at a critical time,” said Dr. Christopher Caldwell, President of the College of Menominee Nation. Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) serve as higher education pillars of Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, often while operating on limited budgets in underserved Tribal, rural, and urban communities. Yet, recent economic impact studies (2022-2023 data) show a $4.6 billion collective impact across TCU Indian Country, and a conservative estimate of $16 million total alumni impact across the Tribal lands and state counties that CMN serves directly.

“As we dream of our future, this gift allows us to accelerate our work and deepen our impact,” said Dr. Caldwell. “The donor’s belief in our mission empowers CMN to pursue our purpose with increased determination. We will seek to invest in our future through endowments, while supporting the needs of today. This worldview of generational care is a teaching from our elders and ancestors, exemplified in our Tribe’s forest management system and our educational system."

Māēc wāēwāēnen (with big thanks) to the MacKenzie Scott Foundation.

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About the College of Menominee Nation
Chartered by the Menominee People in 1993, the College of Menominee Nation is a land-grant Tribal College committed to educational excellence, cultural preservation, and sustainable community development. Serving students from Tribal Nations, rural communities, and diverse backgrounds, CMN offers degree and certificate programs that honor Indigenous knowledge and prepare graduates to contribute meaningfully to their communities and the world.

For questions or more information regarding this press release, please contact CMN Director of Institutional Advancement, Susan Waukau, at 715-799-6226, ext. 3114, or by email at swaukau@menominee.edu.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: College of Menominee Nation Awarded 1.74 Million Federal Grant to Support Indigenous Teacher Education

The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) is proud to announce that its Teacher Education Department has been awarded $1.74 million over five years. The U.S. Department of Education's Indian Education Professional Development Grant. This funding supports Indigenous students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Elementary/Middle School Education and aims to increase the number of qualified Indigenous teachers serving their own communities.

October 14th, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: swaukau@menominee.edu

College of Menominee Nation Awarded 1.74 Million Federal Grant
to Support Indigenous Teacher Education

Project ROOTS: Resilience-Oriented Opportunities for Teacher Success launches
to grow Native educators serving Native communities.

KESHENA, WI –
The College of Menominee Nation (CMN) is proud to announce that its Teacher Education Department has been awarded $1.74 million over five years. The U.S. Department of Education's Indian Education Professional Development Grant. This funding supports Indigenous students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Elementary/Middle School Education and aims to increase the number of qualified Indigenous teachers serving their own communities.

Through this new initiative, Project ROOTS: Resilience-Oriented Opportunities for Teacher Success, CMN will provide a culturally grounded, community-based pathway to teacher licensure. Project ROOTS emphasizes resilience, relationships, and reciprocity — preparing teachers to serve Native students with respect for Indigenous knowledge systems and ways of learning.

“This grant represents an incredible opportunity to grow our own teachers,” said Dr. Kelli Chelberg, CMN Teacher Education Department Chair. “Project ROOTS honors Indigenous values by preparing educators who understand and reflect the communities they will serve.”

Geraldine Sanapaw, Chief Academic Officer, commented, "Project ROOTS reflects our commitment to growing teachers from within our own communities — educators who carry our values, languages, and ways of knowing into the classroom."

Program Overview
The Indian Education Professional Development Grant is designed to:

1. Increase the number of qualified Native individuals in professions that serve Native communities.
2. Provide training for Native individuals to become teachers in schools with high proportions of Native students.

Project ROOTS Highlighted Goals:

1. Recruit and graduate 20 Indigenous students with a bachelor’s degree and teaching license in elementary/middle school education.

2. Offer an accelerated three-year degree program, including summer coursework, to support full-time and non-traditional students.

3. Provide monthly stipends, childcare credits, and academic support to help students stay focused on their studies.

4. Require students to enroll full-time and work part-time to prioritize academic success.

5. Offer two years of post-graduation induction support and collaboration with tribal and local schools for job placement and retention

For more information about Project ROOTS or the Teacher Education Program at the College of Menominee Nation, please visit www.menominee.edu or contact Dr. Kelli Chelberg, Department Chair, at kchelberg@menominee.edu.

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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 campus 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

I'm an image

Chief Academic Officer
Geraldine Sanapaw

I'm an image

Department Chair
Dr. Kelli Chelberg

Press Releases

For Immediate Release: In Memory of Ernie "Steve" Stevens, Jr.

September 29th, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Dylan Sabin
dsabin@menominee.edu

In Memory of Ernie “Steve” Stevens, Jr.
1959–2025

We honor IGA Chairman Ernie Stevens, Jr.—a relative, friend, and steadfast supporter of the College of Menominee Nation. We celebrate a life devoted to strengthening education and community. Through his support, Chairman Stevens planted seeds of knowledge; from those seeds, he taught us the importance of giving back to our communities. Those lessons will continue to grow for generations. With deep respect and gratitude, we will remember his generosity and guidance that uplifted all Native American communities.

If there was ever a storyteller, it was Chairman Stevens. His relationship with the College began many years ago with Dr. Verna Fowler, our founding president. He was invited to speak at our commencement twice in CMN’s 32-year history, most recently in May 2025. As he spoke to our students this past spring, reflecting on his long-standing support, Chairman Stevens shared that he always wished he could do more—but Dr. Fowler reminded him, “Ernie, you’ve done everything I ever asked you.” He carried those words in his heart for the rest of his life.

Education and community were central to his vision for stronger Tribal nations. Chairman Stevens and Dr. Fowler shared a deep, mutual respect and a commitment to advancing Native communities, always emphasizing that Indian education is a vital responsibility of our governments and must be protected.

Chairman Stevens continued his support of CMN under President Christopher Caldwell, honoring the promises he made to Dr. Fowler. President Caldwell noted that Chairman Stevens’ 2025 commencement speech inspired the graduates, particularly when he told the Class of 2025:

"Your success today fills my heart with encouragement. I am inspired to stand before you because you strengthen me, you strengthen us, and you strengthen Indian Country overall."

These words reflect his life as a true fighter for education, sovereignty, and community. Chairman Stevens walked with us in a good way, supporting our students, our culture, and our future. His spirit will continue to guide our path.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Cheryl; his children, Brandon, Ernest III, Margaret, Maria, and Lois; his 20 grandchildren; and his mother, Marge, during this time of mourning. We say Maec Waewaenen for sharing him with the CMN family, as he always felt like family to us.