By Ramona Morrow, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University, Associate Dean of Career and Technical Education
2025-2026 Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program
Associate Dean of Career and Technical Education.
Throughout my life, Indigenous women leaders have guided me to where I am today. It began with my grandmother, who raised her children to be strong and to strive for a better life. She believed in education; she was a student at Hayward Indian School and later graduated from Haskell Institute, now Haskell Indian Nations University. My mother came from a generation that was sent from reservations to take their place in the working world. She took many college courses and spent her life instilling in her children the idea that we can do anything.
Strong women are there for each other and for future generations. That is what I was taught and continue to teach my daughters, as well as other women I encounter. To be resilient in the face of adversity, never give up, and strive to be a better you. I strive to be an approachable leader, someone people turn to when they need something, who listens, and makes a difference.
Today I work and teach at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU) near Hayward, Wisconsin. In my educational journey, it was always my dream to return to LCOOU one day. I began as an adjunct instructor, teaching various Native history, art, and beadwork classes. I still teach as an adjunct in the evenings, but now I help shape our ever growing Extension Department. I am part of creating our newly formed education for careers in technical fields, Career and Technical Education (CTE) as Associate Dean of CTE.
After each day, I still make time to create Native art, which is my first love. I make it a point to continue my journey in the art world. I participate in two major shows a year and teach at various museums throughout the year. Creating art is where I find peace and healing. I also believe it is important to pass along our ancestral knowledge to future generations. I raised my children with this knowledge and now share it with my grandchildren and students.
As a leader, I acknowledge that I am part of a team. Being a team member is not putting ourselves above our co-workers. When others are unable to come to work, I make it a point to be there to make sure the job gets done. I am always available when needed. I believe in not having our co-workers do anything we wouldn’t do ourselves.
Being part of the Indigenous Visionaries: Women’s Leadership Program is an honor; I never really thought of myself in that way. I am amazed at all the accomplishments of the Native women I met during this cohort. I constantly strive to become a better version of myself through creating and learning. I am still on my educational journey and currently working on my dissertation proposal in First Nations Education Doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Believe in your dreams.
