Bryan Newland Visit

U.S. Assistant Secretary for Indian affairs

WMU was honored to host Mr. Bryan Newland (Ojibwe), Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior on April 13, 2023. Mr. Newland is a citizen of the Bay Mills Indian Community in northern Michigan, where he served as Tribal President from 2017 to 2021. 

Mr. Newland works to strengthen the government-to-government and nation-to-nation relationships with American Indian and Alaska Native tribes. Following a reception, Mr. Newland will speak about how the traditional Seven Grandfathers teaching has guided his work in public service and helped him to engage across diverse communities. 

During the event, WMU officially announced the creation of the region's only Graduate Certificate in Tribal Governance in cooperation between the School of Public Affairs and Administration and the local Tribal Councils of the Three Fires Confederacy.