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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 

KESHENA, WI -- Recently the Bay and Paul Foundation awarded $650,000 to the Sustainable Development Institute at College of Menominee Nation. College President, Christopher Caldwell, expressed his gratitude for the large gift, saying, “We are always deeply indebted to those who see the importance of our work as one of the nation's 35 accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs). Part of that work for the College of Menominee Nation includes the focus on sustainability that is led by our Sustainable Development Institute (SDI) for over 25 years. SDI leads many projects to better understand human-environmental relationships, including Indigenous peoples and climate change..” These funds will be distributed over two years of programming to initiate a revisiting of the theoretical model of sustainability and SDI as an institution.

Director of SDI, Tom Kenote Jr., is excited to use the Bay and Paul Foundation’s support to develop a new era of SDI focus and work. Kenote said, “We are excited for this next iteration of the Menominee Theoretical Model of Sustainability. We plan to host community dialogue sessions to reimagine what Sustainable Development looks like in today’s context. We also plan to use the funding to support operations here at the Institute.”. The funds provided cover SDI staff costs to plan, implement, analyze, and present community workshops and convening. Work has already begun.

“The Bay and Paul Foundations is proud to recognize the College of Menominee Nation’s leadership in sustainable development,” said Rebecca Adamson, Chair of the Bay and Paul Foundations’ Support for Indigenous Communities grantmaking program. “Our investment is designed to enable the Sustainable Development Institute to explore new indigenous models of sustainability that can best meet today’s urgent challenges yet continue to provide the vision needed to shape future direction.”

Find more information on the work from this amazing grant 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, influence 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

KESHENA, WI – Geraldine Sanapaw has been named Chief Academic Officer (CAO) of the College of Menominee Nation (CMN). Under the direction of the President, the CAO is responsible for educational policy and academic programs. This includes, but is not limited to, program review and improvement, accreditation and self-evaluation, assessment of student learning, and advancement of student success. Sanapaw’s transition into permanency in the CAO capacity was confirmed by the College of Menominee Nation Board of Directors on Monday, April 25, 2022.

Sanapaw has been serving as Interim Chief Academic Officer since May 2020. President of the College, Christopher Caldwell, is confident in Sanapaw’s role stating, “CAO Sanapaw has demonstrated a long term commitment and understanding of Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) as a CMN graduate, employee, and teacher. Her understanding and valuing of  Indigenous cultural influence throughout our institution is also important in how we design academic programs and assess their effectiveness in preparing all CMN students as important parts of their communities. We are an institute of the Menominee people, yet we serve and value a diverse student population that has come to learn from us and with us. “ 

An alumna, Sanapaw began her academic career at CMN receiving her Associate Degree in Business. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Silver Lake College and a Master’s of Business Administration from Lakeland College. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (EdD) program at Concordia University in Leadership Innovation and Continuous Quality Improvement. 

Sanapaw is familiar with the mission and values of the College and upon acceptance of the position said, “I am looking forward to continuing working with our staff and faculty to support and find new opportunities for our students and the community.” She started at CMN as the Associate Administrator in Academic Affairs in 2005, but has also worked in the departments of Institutional Research and the Registrar. Sanapaw has also served on various committees such as Finance and Planning, Endowment, and Committee on Academics. 

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The College of Menominee Nation is an accredited baccalaureate-level institution chartered by the Menominee People. Campus locations are in Keshena and Green Bay, Wisconsin. Seventy percent of CMN’s alumni are enrolled or descendants of American Indian Tribes with representatives from 36 tribes and bands.