Menominee Tribe seeks volunteers for contest powwow board by July 8

Menominee Tribal Members who want a role in one of Keshena’s most visible community traditions have until noon July 8 to put their names forward for the Menominee Nation Contest Powwow Board. The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin posted the notice June 10, asking interested members to submit a letter of interest by email or in person to the MITW Chairman’s Office.

The notice pointed readers to an attachment for more information and requirements, but it did not spell out every duty of the board. The tribe’s own Pow Wow Board page shows it is a standing governance body, with bylaws and meeting minutes posted alongside a roster that includes Michael Fish Jr. as chairman, Randal Chevalier and Kaycee Frechette as legislators, and Elmer Denny, Paula Fernandez and Myron Pyawasit III as community members.

That matters because the contest powwow is one of the Menominee community’s signature public gatherings. Travel Wisconsin describes the Menominee Nation Contest Pow-wow as drawing contestants and spectators from across the nation and Canada, with dance competition, live singing and drumming, vendors and food. For families in Menominee County and across the reservation, the board is part of the structure that keeps a major cultural event organized and consistent from year to year.

The tribe has sought interest letters before. Similar Powwow Board notices were posted April 17, 2025, February 23, 2026, and March 27, 2026, showing that the board has remained an active part of the tribe’s powwow administration and that tribal members continue to be asked to step in.

The broader cultural setting around the powwow has also been active. In June 8 e-news, the tribe highlighted regalia closets at Keshena Primary School and Menominee Tribal School, where students can borrow regalia for powwows and other cultural events. That effort puts the next generation closer to the same traditions the Powwow Board helps sustain, and it underscores why a July 8 letter of interest is more than routine paperwork in Keshena.