College of Menominee Nation (CMN) President Christopher M. Caldwell has earned his doctorate in environment and resources through the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison.
Caldwell’s dissertation, titled “Indigenous Sustainability Thinking: A Menominee Perspective,” focused on Indigenous approaches to research, language revitalization and sustainability. The majority of this work was built from his experiences on the Menominee reservation, and as part of the CMN Sustainable Development Institute (SDI).
Caldwell’s professional career spanned time with Menominee Tribal Enterprises, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the college. During his time as director of CMN SDI, he began his doctoral program with UW-Madison. In February 2020, the CMN board of directors asked him to step in as interim president. He and his team navigated the college through the pandemic, supporting the campus community, as well as surrounding Tribal nations and rural communities.
In June 2021, the board officially installed him as president, and since then, his focus has been prioritized on CMN charter obligations to preserve, protect and advance the Menominee way of life and learning, which is learning by doing. This strategy builds on high quality academics and administration, which allows students to pursue their individual goals while supporting the broader interests of the Menominee people, while supporting other Tribal nations and rural communities.
Categories
