Green Bay Reporter

Registration is now open for a new certificate program at UW-Green Bay aimed at First Nations Professionals. The program seeks to enhance understanding of the history, culture, and tribal sovereignty of Native American Nations in Wisconsin. Developed in collaboration with the UW-Green Bay Social Work Professional Programs, the certificate offers sessions starting in March 2025 at the university's main campus.

Participants will engage in learning that aligns with First Nations' values through experiential teaching methods. These methods include tribal oral tradition, Elder epistemology, and participatory learning. Joan Groessl, director of Social Work Professional Programs at UW-Green Bay, emphasized the program's value: “This certificate is reoffered after hiatus because participants continue to report its value to personal and professional growth.”

The program may also fulfill Act 31 requirements for educators and social workers within school systems. Act 31 was enacted in 1989 following tensions over Ojibwe spearfishing rights, known as the "Walleye Wars." This legislation aims to integrate Native American perspectives into educational curricula.

The certificate consists of five sessions covering various topics:

- Understanding First Nations on March 28, 2025

- Resistance, Change and Colonization on June 4, 2025

- Indigenous Education, Euro-American Policy and Historical Trauma on August 15, 2025

- Professions in First Nations Communities on November 21, 2025

- First Nations Generational Healing for Professionals on January 16, 2026

For more information or registration details, interested individuals can visit the program website or contact Melissa Betke at betkem@uwgb.edu or (920) 663-7337.

Research support for this initiative was provided by Microsoft Co-Pilot and Oneida.

UW-Green Bay serves a diverse student body across four campuses in Northeast Wisconsin. It offers numerous academic degrees and certificates while promoting inclusivity since its establishment in 1965.