CMN Observes MLK Day; Beading, Weaving, Moccasin Workshops Jan. 19-22

The College of Menominee Nation closed campuses Jan. 19 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day and has scheduled a series of cultural and wellness workshops through Jan. 22 that are open to students and campus community. Events listed on CMN’s public calendar and student portal on Jan. 20 include a Beading for Bliss session from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM and a Talking Circle in the Wellness Resource Room from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM; the portal also provides event details and contact information for campus organizers.

Programming continues later in the week with recurring Ribbon Shirt or Skirt Wednesdays, Breathe and Bead and Weaving Wednesdays on Jan. 21, followed by a Moccasin Making workshop on Jan. 22. The mix of hands-on craft sessions and wellness offerings is designed to combine cultural skill building with student mental health supports at CMN’s campuses across Menominee County.

At the top of the story is immediate impact: these workshops provide practical instruction in traditional beadwork, weaving and moccasin construction, activities that contribute to cultural continuity and create opportunities for informal economic activity. Preserving and teaching artisanal techniques helps students maintain connections to Menominee cultural heritage while building skills that can be adapted for part-time sales, community events or small-business ventures. For a county where community institutions and cultural traditions play a central role in local livelihoods, such programming can have modest but meaningful economic spillovers through material purchases, local craft sales and community exchanges.

There are also clear wellbeing and retention implications for the college. Pairing craft workshops with Talking Circles and wellness sessions addresses social connection and mental health at a time when many campuses prioritize holistic student supports. Campus-based cultural programming can strengthen attachment to campus life and the broader Menominee community, supporting enrollment and student persistence over time.

Policy and funding considerations are relevant for local leaders. Sustained investment in cultural education and campus wellness can act as low-cost, high-value strategies that reinforce workforce development, community resilience and cultural tourism potential. For Menominee County, maintaining regular programming that links culture, craft and wellness may help diversify local economic options and support the county’s cultural economy.

Check CMN’s student portal for specific times, locations and contact information for organizers if you plan to attend. The week’s events signal an ongoing commitment by the college to blend cultural teaching with student wellbeing, and similar offerings are likely to reappear as CMN adapts campus services to community needs.