A photograph shot by satellites high above the earth of the 235,000-acre Menominee Reservation shows a clearly outlined, deep-green rectangle from sustainable forest practices.
The approval of land-grant status in 1994 granted Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) the ability to access funding through the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA). The irony of it at the time was there was no longer any land to grant to the TCUs, and the entire land-grant system was built on land that was once Tribal territory. Instead, an endowment was set up that would provide annual interest payments to all TCUs with land-grant status. The TCU land- grant family has grown from its original 29 to what is today 37 institutions of higher education throughout Indian Country — two of which are in Wisconsin: College of Menominee Nation and Lac Courte Oreilles College. Known as the 1994 land-grant institutions, TCUs very much resemble the original intent of the Morrill Act of 1862, which was to provide post-secondary education and resources to areas of rural America that otherwise could not afford or access it. TCUs work closely with their communities to make sure their programs — such as teacher education, business administration, public administration, and agriculture — align with the career goals of students in that community. The College of Menominee Nation, located in northeast Wisconsin, is no different. At only 26 years old, it is considered a fledgling school but it exemplifies the true purpose of a land-grant institution. It was originally chartered by the Menominee people in 1993, starting with classes in the basement of the founding president’s home. From there it grew, moving to a vacant house, then to classrooms at the local high school, and then to a double-wide trailer to what is today a sprawling campus of seven state-of-the-art buildings and a second campus near the Oneida Nation Reservation in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The college’s growth and success stemmed from the community’s hunger to learn and help the Menomi nee Tribe. Today, the college not only continues to provide associate degree programs but also has transfer agreements with the University of Wisconsin system, as well as baccalaureate degree programs at its institution. Through its 1994 land-grant status, the College of Menominee Nation is able to provide community support through its Department of Continuing Education as well as student research opportunities through its Sustainable Development Institute. This institute strives to replicate the traditional Menominee values of
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