
- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
DOWAGIAC, Mich. – The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Indiana Tech today announced a new scholarship program for employees of the Tribe’s government as well as people employed by the portfolio companies managed by its investment arm, Mno-Bmadsen.
The new Pathways Scholarship Program will offer recipients opportunities to pursue degree programs that provide job skills training and open doors for career advancement, according to a news release. Those who are accepted into a degree program will receive a scholarship equal to 20 percent of the annual standard tuition rate. Other benefits include textbook rental and on-demand access to online tutoring at no charge, as well as support from Indiana Tech’s Career Center including access to job postings, internships, information sessions, career days and job-fair opportunities
“We are very excited to offer this opportunity to eligible employees who apply for enrollment and meet Indiana Tech’s admission standards,” Sam Morseau, director of the Pokagon Band Dept. of Education said in a statement.
“This truly is an exceptional program that will have a profound positive effect on the lives and careers of our eligible employees that apply and are accepted into this program,” said Matthew Wesaw, tribal chairman of the Pokagon Band. “We applaud the Pokagon Band Department of Education, Mno-Bmadsen and the leadership at Indiana Tech for working together to make this program a reality.”
“Indiana Tech is pleased to partner with the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi to benefit its employees with access to quality, affordable education,” Steven Herendeen, vice president for enrollment management at Indiana Tech, said in a statement. “Our degree offerings are well-suited to helping them advance in their careers, and to continue serving their people with the highest levels of professionalism, innovation and effectiveness. Everyone at our university looks forward to helping them pursue their educational goals and reach their greatest potential.”
The mission of the Pokagon Band Department of Education is to provide opportunities to promote lifelong learning among all Tribal citizens. The Education Department also provides educational services to other Native Americans in the ten-county service area who meet the eligibility of specific federal grants.
More Stories Like This
Mackie Moore (Cherokee) Named Interim President of Haskell Indian Nations UniversityMohawk Students File Legal Suit Over Changes Impacting Access to Federal Financial Aid
Trump Administration Proposes Deep Cuts to Tribal College Funding, Threatening Their Survival
USU Researchers Find Relationship Building, Local Cultural Knowledge Key for Indigenous Learners
Zuni Youth Enrichment Project Brings Traditional Dance and Cultural Learning to 450 Students This Spring
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher