302: Tribal Governance Capacity Building with a University Partner: Lessons from Southwest Michigan
1:45-2:45pm
General Track 2
Ki Ngot-Ki Nish
Mtg Rooms 1&2
This presentation highlights the development of a tribally led partnership between the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, and Western Michigan University (WMU) to address a critical gap in locally available, culturally relevant leadership education. In 2019, WMU formally recognized its location within Potawatomi homelands and, in collaboration with the bands, established the Native American Affairs Council (NAAC). Through the NAAC, the bands co-designed and co-govern a Graduate Certificate in Tribal Governance that is officially endorsed by the three bands and tailored to their distinct histories, treaty rights, governance structures, and economic development priorities. The presentation will describe the program’s emphasis on skills for tribal governance, including legal and policy analysis, organizational management, and intergovernmental relations. Each cohort reserves dedicated seats for tribal employees and community members whose participation is supported by tribal higher education scholarships, with remaining spaces available to non-Native professionals working with the bands. Participants complete service-learning capstone projects that directly advance tribally identified goals.
Preliminary outcomes indicate that graduates are running for tribal office, assuming program director and senior management roles, and strengthening cross-sector relationships in Southwest Michigan. The presentation will discuss lessons learned about shared governance between tribal nations and a public university, implications for workforce development and self-determination, and strategies for replicating tribally co-governed leadership education models in other Michigan Native communities.
This presentation relates to the theme of sending a message to the next generation by building the leadership capacity of today’s Tribal youth to engage in self-determination and nation-building through self-governance.
Lead By:
Sam Morseau (Pokagon Band of Potawatomi), Pokagon Band of Potawatomi, Secretary, Western Michigan University, Tribal Governance Faculty
Sam Morseau is a citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and currently serves as the Tribal Council Secretary and faculty for the Tribal Governance Graduate Certificate Program at Western Michigan University. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree with an emphasis in Tribal Governance. Elected as the Tribal Council Secretary of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians in 2021, Mr. Morseau has over 25 years’ of experience dedicated to indigenous education, strategic planning, and cultural immersion. In 2014, Sam returned to his ancestral homelands to begin advocating for the indigenous students of Michigan. In addition to serving as the Director of Education, Morseau also served as Chairman of the Confederated Michigan Tribal Education Directors (CMTED) and President of the Tribal Education Directors National Assembly (TEDNA). Mr. Morseau continues to advocate for tribal nations by promoting educational sovereignty through government-to-government capacity building.
Robin C. Greymountain (Sault Tribe of Chippewa), Director, Kalamazoo Adult Education, Western Michigan University, doctoral student and graduate of Tribal Governance Certificate Program
Robin Greymountain, member of Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, is an experienced educational leader, advocate, and veteran who is a Doctoral Candidate in Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Michigan University with a focus on Native American education. She recently earned a Certificate in Tribal Government from WMU. Robin serves as the Kalamazoo County McKinney‑Vento Grant Coordinator, Kalamazoo Public Schools Homeless Liaison, and Director of Kalamazoo Adult Education. She directs eight adult education sites, manages grants, oversees curriculum and assessment, and ensures free access to High School Equivalency and ESL programs. A former elementary principal in Michigan and Arizona, Robin has led large school communities, implemented MTSS and culturally relevant practices, and provided intensive teacher development. She has coordinated ELL and Gifted programs, administered multiple federal and state grants, and organized Native American cultural and healing initiatives — most recently a Truth and Healing event at Western Michigan University. Certified in Michigan and Arizona as a principal and endorsed in Gifted and SEI instruction, Robin blends instructional leadership, grantwriting, and culturally grounded community engagement to expand educational access and equity. She was most recently named as an Elder in Residence at Western Michigan University.
Jamie Stuck (Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi), Faculty - Tribal Governance Certificate Program, Western Michigan University
Jamie Stuck is the first Principal Executive Officer and Tribal Legislative Liaison of the Office of the Legislative Liaison to be appointed by the Legislative Council of the State of Michigan. This is the first and only independent office in the United States of America (enacted by Public Act #208) to establish and maintain the government-to-government relationships between Federally Recognized Tribes and State Legislatures in relation to the consultation and development of legislation that impacts Federally Recognized Tribes. In addition to his role with the State of Michigan, Jamie is a Professional Instructor at Western Michigan University for the Graduate Certification Program for Tribal Governance.
He served as the NHBP Tribal Council Chairperson from 2016-2024. Jamie’s passion for leadership and change has earned him local, state, national, and global awards. Most recently, Stuck was nominated and recognized as the Distinguished Alumnus for 2025 by the Lakeview School District Board of Education, making him the first Indigenous Person to receive this honor. Governors Granholm, Snyder and Whitmer have honored him with “Special Tributes” for exemplary leadership in 2010, 2014 and 2024. In 2011, he made The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) Board of Directors’ “Native American 40 Under 40” list. Global Business Magazine named him “Top 25 People to Watch in 2011,” and he was also on the Global Gaming Expo Emerging Leaders’ “Top 7” and “40 under 40” lists in 2013.