College Offers Cultural Craft Sessions, Supports Student Wellness This Week

The College of Menominee Nation ran a cluster of student and community programs during the week of December 15 through 17, 2025, offering craft based cultural activities and wellness focused gatherings on the Keshena campus. On Monday, December 16, the college held Beading for Bliss from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, an afternoon event intended to combine student information and cultural craft practice. Today, December 17, the campus hosted recurring Ribbon Shirt or Skirt Wednesdays as well as library based drop in programs Breathe and Bead from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM and Weaving Wednesdays from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

Held in campus spaces and the CMN library, these sessions were listed on the college calendar and described as student and community supports and cultural skill building opportunities. The library drop in format aimed to lower barriers to participation by offering flexible access for students and community members during the academic week. By foregrounding Indigenous arts and practices, the programming reinforces cultural continuity and provides a setting for social connection at a time of year when students often experience increased stress.

From a public health perspective, community based cultural activities like beading and weaving have multiple potential benefits. They create social cohesion, offer low barrier ways to practice mindfulness, and support identity affirmation for Native students. For Menominee County residents who face structural barriers to mental health care, the tribal college serves as a culturally responsive local hub that can complement formal clinical services and community supports.

Sustaining and expanding offerings of this kind could help address broader equity concerns by keeping supports local, culturally tailored, and accessible. Calendar listings and the CMN library page include times, locations, contact points and short descriptions for anyone seeking more information about future sessions. As colleges and community organizations plan services, centering cultural skill building and wellness can help strengthen both individual resilience and collective well being across the county.