Media Contact: Aaryn Richard, aarynr@law.msu.edu
May 13, 2025
By Chelsea Stein
Marking the 20th anniversary of its Indigenous Law Certificate Program last week, Michigan State University College of Law celebrated this year’s students who completed one of the nation’s most rigorous and comprehensive training programs in Tribal law, policy and practice.
Recognized as a leader in Indian Law education, MSU Law’s Indigenous Law and Policy Center graduates law students in the foundational principles, histories and cultural issues of Federal Indian Law and Tribal sovereignty annually since its inception in 2005.
“I am proud of the fact that the ILPC is committed to educating Native law students as well as non-Native students to work on behalf of Tribes both inside and outside of Tribal governments,” MSU Law Dean Michael Sant’Ambrogio told the students and their families. “As graduates of the ILPC and MSU Law, you are armed with the knowledge and passion to use the law as a tool for justice and healing.”
The ILPC Class of 2025 included Amanda Igra, Mackenzie Knutsen, Denver Lambert, Janelle Orange, Riah Vieau and Rory Wheeler.
Each graduate received a stole for earning the Indigenous Law certificate and/or participating as a member in the Native American Law Students Association. Traditional wool blankets – a powerful Native symbol of protection and responsibility – were gifted and wrapped around each graduate, marking this important moment in life. Eagle feathers were also given to members of federally recognized tribes.
“Indigenous law is at the frontlines of environmental protection, child welfare, cultural preservation, economic development and civil rights. Every one of our certificate graduates leaves here with the training and commitment to be leaders in these areas, whether or not the broader legal system is fully paying attention yet,” said Wenona Singel, director of the ILPC and associate professor of law. “And they are building a future in which Indigenous voices, laws and nations are stronger than ever.”
Singel is a leading voice for Indigenous law on both a local and national scale, publishing research and writing on issues related to Tribal sovereignty and Indigenous rights. As an Indigenous woman and the first in her family to attend college, Singel is committed to widening access to higher education and law school for other first generation and Indigenous students.
The ILPC graduation ceremony included students’ families and friends as well as a performance by Sharpfeather Drum of Gun Lake Tribe (Match-E-Be-Nash-She Wish Band) who sang an honor song and led a traditional Round Dance for all attendees.
“We started the event in approximately 2015 because we realized that many of our students were the first in their families to earn a law degree, let alone specialize in a field as vital as Indigenous law,” Singel explained. “We wanted to celebrate them in a way that reflects the significance of their achievement, both professionally and personally. The event is small, personal and rooted in community values including honoring hard work, service and commitment to Native nations and peoples.”
Honoring the Class of 2025
The Honorable Chief Judge Michael Petoskey of the Pokagon Band Tribal Court of Michigan addressed the graduates, speaking of his own journey as a Tribal judge and the lessons he’s learned to inspire the newly minted Spartan lawyers.
“Think about the investment you’ve made in yourselves,” he said. “Education is the key to building a good foundation and having a springboard to live a full and productive life.”
Petoskey, a lifelong Michigan resident and MSU alumnus, is nationally recognized for his decades of work to promote greater respect and understanding for tribal courts in the U.S.
He founded Michigan’s Tribal State Federal Judicial Forum in 2014 with the Michigan Supreme Court, which has enhanced the recognition of and collaboration with tribal courts. He has served as judge for various Indian tribes in the state, including each of the seven federally recognized tribal communities in the Lower Peninsula, and has been Chief Judge of the Pokagon Band Tribal Court since 2002.
At the celebration, he said the heart of his role as a judge is being able to give people an opportunity to be heard and engage in problem solving. He called out the progress that he and many others have made for Native communities, urging graduates to continue this important work.
“Wherever you end up [in your career], you’ll be a good representation of Native people,” he said. “Take every opportunity to educate others and develop friendships. It comes down to the three R’s: relationships, respect and responsibility.”
Upon graduation, there are many unique pathways that Spartan Lawyers can take to work on behalf of tribes both inside and outside of tribal governments. Whether it be through private practice, nonprofit organizations or tribal, federal or state governments, ILPC graduates are passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and Native voices.
“Only 0.03% of all lawyers are Native, so it means a lot to be able to be part of a very small certificate program that will allow me to help my people out further in life,” said Knutsen, ’25, who is a member of the Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She grew up with her culture and is eager to support her community, starting her career as an assistant public defender for Muskegon County.
Wheeler, ’25, will be director of the Seneca Gaming Corporation and incoming associate in an American Indian law and policy practice based in New York and D.C. As a citizen of the Seneca Nation, Turtle Clan, and a descendant of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, he was motivated to earn the certificate because of MSU’s legacy of excellence through alumni and faculty.
“MSU has a reputation of producing such great attorneys,” he said. “There are so many alumni that are doing fantastic work and improving Tribal communities every day. And the moment I met the ILPC faculty three years ago, I felt like this was the place I belong; I felt the community. The opportunity to learn from them has been phenomenal.”
Although graduation is often a bittersweet moment, marking the end of students’ journeys at MSU, it also signifies a new beginning. And for Spartan Lawyers, that means being poised to make a lasting difference for justice.
“Today, I get to see students graduate with the skills to use law as a tool for justice, self-determination and healing,” said ILPC Director Singel. “Every time I hand a student their Indigenous Law Certificate it’s a reminder that we are not just surviving systems — we are changing them. It’s one of the greatest honors of my career to support our students in becoming part of that change.”
Singel served as deputy legal counsel and advised on tribal-state affairs for Governor Gretchen Whitmer for three years; was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the advisory board of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation for five years; served as former president of the Michigan Indian Judicial Association; and is currently serving on the World Wildlife Fund’s National Council.
