The College of Menominee Nation (CMN), located on the Menominee Indian Reservation is one of 34 tribally controlled community colleges in the United States. CMN is a member of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and is one of two tribal colleges in the State of Wisconsin. The Menominee Tribal Legislature chartered CMN as an Institution of Higher Education in March of 1993. In 1996 the Menominee people reinforced the college's existence by initiating a charter for the college under Article VIII of the Menominee Tribal Constitution and by-laws. In February, 1998, a NCA team of evaluators and consultants conducted a site visit to the college campus and recommended that the Commission grant CMN full accreditation. The College of Menominee Nation was granted full accreditation on August 7, 1998.

THE CAMPUS
The College of Menominee Nation's campus is located in Keshena, Wisconsin, on Highway 47/55 on the southern border of the Menominee Indian Reservation. The campus consists of a recently constructed building which provides space for classrooms and administrative offices. A state of the art technology lab, new library, and distance education center was added in 1998. Plans for further campus development are progressing. Students who enroll during the planning phase of the College will have the unique opportunity to help plan and create one of Wisconsin's most exciting colleges.

CMN MISSION
The College Of Menominee Nation’s mission is to provide opportunities in Higher Education to its students. As an institution of higher education chartered by the Menominee people, the college infuses this education with American Indian culture, preparing students for careers and advanced studies in a multi-cultural world. As a land grant institution, the College is committed to research, promoting, perpetuating and nurturing American Indian Culture, and providing outreach workshops and community service.
The Omaeqnomenewak Pematesenewak Center on the campus of the College of Menominee Nation is the place of learning and teaching about the Menominee people. This cultural learning center is the focal point of the college’s mission to provide instruction and information on the historical, cultural, linguistic and contemporary ways of life of the Menominee Indian Tribe.

The Omaeqnomenewak Pematesenewak Center is the college’s site for academic programs in the humanities, social and environmental sciences, literature, culture, linguistics and community programs. The Menominee Culture Institute is the college program responsible for the operations of the facility.
The Omaeqnomenewak Pematesenewak Center is a 48-foot by 68-foot, 3,264 square foot, wood frame facility with a full basement. The College of Menominee Nation contributed additional funding to the project that allowed for an additional 1,000 square feet of space to be added to the original design of the building. The facility is the culmination of efforts by the National Log Home Builders Association, the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), the American Indian College Fund and the Kellogg Foundation to provide each tribal college with a building to house their cultural or museum programs. Each of the thirty-two tribal colleges was offered the opportunity to acquire the materials and resources to construct a center. The College of Menominee Nation was one of the twenty-four tribal colleges that accepted the offer.
The College of Menominee Nation was paired with Town and Country Log Homes of Petoskey, Michigan. Town and Country Log Homes donated the white cedar half logs for the exterior and white cedar paneling for the interior of the building. Town and Country also provided the white cedar roof support system for the building. The roof decking of red pine and the hardwood flooring came from Menominee Tribal Enterprises in Neopit, Wisconsin.

The actual construction of the facility began in June 2000 with a log raising ceremony that was preceded in April 2000 by a blessing of the grounds where the facility was to be constructed
Architectural design and planning of the project was provided by the architectural and engineering department’s at Town and Country Log Homes. Student participants in the College of Menominee Nation’s Pre-Apprenticeship Carpentry and Electrical Programs did a lot of the local planning and provided the labor for the construction of the building. Mr. Orman “Chief” Waukau, CMN Pre-Apprentice Program Director, was the construction manager and head laborer for the project. Anne Edinger, Antonio Ruelas and Gail Bruce from the New York offices of AIHEC aided the effort in seeking financial support, development of building planning and material donations to the tribal colleges effort to build their facilities.
The log raising ceremony held in June 2000 commemorated the beginning of the college’s construction effort. Representatives from the college administration, faculty and staff, AIHEC, Town and Country Log Homes, a representative from U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold’s (D-WI) office, tribal officials from Stockbridge-Munsee and Menominee Tribe’s, other local tribal leaders and community members attended the ceremony. Local Menominee contractors who worked on the construction were also in attendance. They include Waukau and Associates, Waupekenay Construction, Arrowhead Construction, Kirk Wilber Construction, Okimosh Construction, Corn Electric and Bergeon Heating and Air Conditioning. Arrowhead Log Homes, owned and operated by Jeff Miller from the Stockbridge-Munsee/Mohican community provided assistance in raising the roof support system of the building.
Additional building materials and supplies were donated by the Kohler Corporation, Elk Roofing, Retail Lumber and Supply, and Menominee Tribal Enterprises. Architects Group Ltd. provided additional assistance in the planning and design of the facility.

The building currently houses the Menominee Culture Institute, the Veterans Upward Bound Program, the Wisconsin Professional Development Teacher Training Project and the Menominee Language ANA Resource Development Project. Menominee language, English and environmental education classes are currently being held in the facility. Other planned uses for the building include coffee houses, brown bag lunches, artist exhibits, small music and theatre programs, guest lectures, faculty and student orientations, large group presentations and graduation.
In June 2001 the College of Menominee Nation received the American Indian Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin “Community Service Award”. This award recognized the college’s effort to using all-Indian contractors in the construction of the facility.
The Omaeqnomenewak Pematesenewak Center is available to tribal and community programs and organizations for their activities. Those wishing to use the center can direct their request by contacting the Menominee Culture Institute at the college.

The college is extremely proud of their facility and the opportunity to showcase the “Menominee Way of Life”.   More detail...