Three Menominee organizations each received a plaque and a cash award Aug. 13 from Bay Bank in celebration of the bank’s 30th anniversary.
Medicine Fish, Menomini U and the Woodland Boys and Girls Club each received $3,000 in Green Bay and were recognized for the work they do on the Menominee Reservation. Bay Bank, the first tribal-owned bank in the United States, opened a branch in Keshena in 2021 and has been working to improve the financial outlook of the Menominee.
Menomini U started in 2020 as a place to revitalize and revive the Menominee language, something that aligns with Bay Bank’s values, according to Nathan King, the bank’s vice president.
“They are a young organization, and they’ve built a brand new facility on the Menominee Reservation,” King said. “It’s amazing. They’re doing some really cool programming and using technology.”
Brianne Tepiew accepted the donation on Menomini U’s behalf and said it was an honor to be recognized.
“This is going to go back into programming for the revitalization and normalization efforts for the Menominee language,” Tepiew said.
Medicine Fish is a program that improves the quality of life for Menominee youth through revitalizing the cultural connection to the earth.
“They are teaching the cultural connections of conservational stewardship, which cultivates a safe and healthy environment to build relationships and power self-resiliency through the model: ‘Heal, build and inspire,’” King said.
Austin Peters, one of the Medicine Fish representatives, said after the award ceremony that Medicine Fish is proud to be one of the recipients.
“This is really cool to receive donations like this from another tribal entity,” Peters said. “It’s going to whatever our future needs are, whether it’s equipment or going toward something that we’re focused on.”
Woodland Boys and Girls Club in Neopit works with youth, as well, as a way to help the Menominee children to reach their full potential. There are 1,000 youth registered in the program, according to King, with an average daily after-school participation of 65 and 25 for the summer programs.
Jeff Bowman, Bay Bank president, said the bank was originally created by the Oneida Nation to empower tribal members and Indigenous-owned businesses with the financial resources that had previously been unavailable.
“It was more than just opening checking accounts or approving loans,” Bowman said. “It was about creating avenues to opportunity and economic independence. From the start, Bay Bank has proudly embraced its tribal roots. Our foundation rests on values on stewardship, responsibility and economic well-being.”
What stands out about the bank, in Bowman’s view, is a legacy of giving. Among the other things supported are youth education, housing and small businesses.
lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com