Kalamazoo Times

Western Michigan University has started a new elders-in-residence program called “Sharing Wisdom Across Generations” with the support of nearly $15,000 from the Native American Heritage Fund (NAHF). The initiative aims to connect students with Indigenous leaders and strengthen intergenerational learning on campus.

The university’s Native American Affairs Council is working with elders and councils from the Gun Lake, Pokagon, and Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi tribal nations in Southwest Michigan. The council will consult these groups as part of shaping the new program.

“These elders may have attended a boarding school in the region or maybe they lived on the reservation their whole life. Or maybe they have experience as a veteran or an entrepreneur. They certainly have knowledge and wisdom to share with students,” said Dr. Dee Sherwood, director of the Native American Affairs Council. “We have a very age-specific learning model in our education system, and we don't have a lot of opportunities to learn from our older generations. So, I think this is a really awesome opportunity, and we appreciate the Native American Heritage Fund for providing that to us.”

Three elders will hold regular office hours at Moore Hall on Western’s Main Campus. Over the next year, they will participate in 10 events covering topics such as drum workshops, making ribbon pants and skirts, bead work, and talking circles focused on Native American culture.

“Students are very interested in learning about traditional ecological knowledge and cultural teachings and Indigenous lifeways,” Sherwood said.

Shabanaa Bush, an aerospace engineering student and president of Western’s Native American Student Organization (NASO), added: “This can be a hub for education for both Native and non-Native students. I see this as a really great way for us to be able to start that intergenerational healing and that cultural education and outreach that we wanted to bring from NASO.”

Sherwood also noted that having elders-in-residence could help create internship opportunities for students or future jobs with tribal nations.

Western Michigan University will be recognized along with 10 other organizations chosen for NAHF grants during an award ceremony scheduled for Friday, Sept. 19 at FireKeepers Casino Hotel after the NAHF board meeting at 11 a.m. The event is open to the public.

“Since its inception, the Native American Heritage Fund has been a catalyst for positive change in Michigan communities. Our mission goes beyond financial support,” said Dorie Rios, NAHF chairperson who also serves as Tribal Council Chairperson for the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi. “We partner with communities through every step of the process—from education and cultural guidance to implementation—so that changes are not only made, but made meaningfully. These grants help restore accurate representation, uplift Indigenous voices, and build stronger bridges between Tribes and local communities.”

Programming details are still being developed by Western’s Native American Affairs Council; more information will be announced once events are finalized.