Verna Fowler

Verna M. Fowler (July 1, 1942 – August 12, 2023) was an American Menominee educator, activist, and Catholic nun who served as the founding president of the College of Menominee Nation (CMN). An enrolled member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and a descendant of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians, Fowler played a role in the Menominee Restoration movement during the 1970s. She led the College of Menominee Nation from its inception in 1993 until her retirement in 2016, overseeing its growth from a small startup to an accredited multi-campus institution.

Early life and education Verna Fowler was born on July 1, 1942, in Keshena, Wisconsin, located on the ancestral homelands of the Menominee people. She was the last surviving sibling of the 11 children born to Sanford Sr. and Louise (Pecore) Fowler. She later recalled that during the post-termination era, the community became known as "Wisconsin's pocket of poverty." Throughout her grade school and high school years, she accompanied her parents to meetings of the General Council. She earned a B.S. in 1972 from Silver Lake College.

Career and activism Fowler began her career in education in 1964, working as a teacher and administrator at various levels ranging from elementary to adult education. Inspired by her mother, Louise Fowler, who held a leadership role in early restoration efforts, Verna developed an interest for social justice. She worked as an assistant to activist Ada Deer in both Washington, D.C., and Wisconsin, helping to achieve the restoration of the Menominee Nation in 1973. Following restoration, she held positions with the Menominee Restoration Committee, including superintendent of Education and Director of the Credit and Finance Department. Donald K. Lemon was her doctoral advisor. That same year, she received the Alumni Achievement Award from the University of North Dakota. Fowler was a co-owner of the Wolf River Trading Post.

Fowler died on August 12, 2023, at the age of 81. A funeral mass was held on August 17, 2023, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Neopit, Wisconsin. She was survived by her niece Joan Delabreau, her lifelong friend Sister Jeanette Trost, her sister-in-law Ava Fowler.