As the College of Menominee Nation prepares to host this year’s Seven Generations Inter-Tribal Leadership Summit, in collaboration with the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University and the Universities of Wisconsin, CMN announces the summit’s slate of keynote speakers.
The Seven Generations Inter-Tribal Leadership Summit will take place from Sept. 30 through Oct. 2 at CMN in Keshena.
“The Seven Generations Summit has grown since its inception at LCOOU, in partnership with CMN and the UW System, but it remains rooted in its core purpose: connecting Indigenous knowledge, higher education and partners focused on supporting strong, vibrant tribal nations and peoples,” said CMN President Christopher Caldwell.
Speaking on economic and workforce development will be Crystal Chapman-Chevalier, CEO, Wolf River Development Company.
Chapman-Chevalier is an enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and was raised and currently lives on the Menominee Reservation. Chapman-Chevalier graduated from CMN with an associate of arts and science in liberal arts, with a minor in Native American studies emphasis with her coursework in Menominee language, and an associate of arts and science in sustainable development with her coursework in cultural geography.
She earned her bachelor of science from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with a major in environmental policy and planning and a minor in project planning. She also earned her master of science from UW-Platteville with a major in organizational change leadership. Benjamin “Benny” Rieth will talk on the topic of education.
Rieth is the founder of BelongingU: Rieth Strategy Solutions, where he partners with colleges, universities and organizations to build cultures of belonging that transform student and employee experiences.
His work centers on helping institutions move beyond programs and toward sustainable, community-centered change rooted in care, connection, accountability and Indigenous ways of being. With more than a decade of experience in higher education,
Rieth has held roles across admissions, student affairs, enrollment and campus life, most recently serving as vice president of student affairs, enrollment and belonging at Bellin College. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member in general education studies, bringing his passion for belonging directly into the classroom.
Throughout his career, he has led initiatives that strengthen student success, enhance employee engagement and reimagine how campuses support the full humanity of their communities.
The topic of the environment will be addressed by Gracie Waukechon, a CMN class of 2026 graduate.
She is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, a Menominee descendant and a member of the Eagle Clan. She currently resides in Bonduel with her family.
Waukechon has professional experience as a hospitality aide at Evergreen Nursing Home, political organizer with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and as an intern at the Sustainable Development Institute. Additionally, she volunteers with the Cross Border Organizing Working Group to decommission Lines 5 and 9, peacefully combatting the extractive fossil fuel industry that largely targets Indigenous communities and transboundary waters in the United States and Canada.
Addressing health and safety will be Gail Nahwahquaw, director of Tribal Affairs Office, Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Nahwahquaw, who is a member of the Menominee Nation, works with her team to administer health services to tribes and educate employees within the Department of Health Services about different tribal communities to ensure the services are culturally appropriate.
The office works in partnership with Wisconsin’s 11 federally recognized tribes, the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council and the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center to aid tribal communities.
Registration for the Seven Generations Inter-Tribal Leadership Summit is open now at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/collegeofthemenomineenation/event/2026sevengens/. Elders and students have free registration.
