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INTRODUCING REBUILDERS COHORT 15

St. Paul, MN — November 7, 2025 — We’re celebrating Native American Heritage Month by welcoming 22 Indigenous changemakers to the Native Nation Rebuilders Program. The leaders selected for the program’s fifteenth cohort represent 11 Native Nations sharing geography with Mni Sota Makoce (Minnesota), North Dakota, and South Dakota. Together, they embody the spirit of sovereignty, self-determination, and community transformation at the heart of Native Governance Center’s mission.

Since its inception in 2015, the Rebuilders Program has empowered over 250 Indigenous leaders through a yearlong, immersive experience grounded in Native nation rebuilding principles. Cohort 15 carries forward this legacy, uniting elected officials, community advocates, educators, and innovators as they forge new pathways toward self-determination and impactful leadership.

Meet the 2025 Rebuilders, Cohort 15:
  • Jessica Four Bear, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
  • Michelle Running Wolf, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe
  • Christopher Whirlwind Soldier, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe
  • Michelle Perrault, Grand Portage Band of Chippewa
  • Kirsten Wittmann, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
  • Tera Wilson, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe
  • Kansas Middletent, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
  • Kiera Fox, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
  • Thomas Grace, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
  • Kimberlee Blevins, Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation
  • Taria Aubid, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
  • Nicole Sawyer, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
  • Heather Fahey, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte
  • Thomas Cloud Horse, Oglala Sioux Tribe
  • Justin Alexander, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska
  • Frances McKay, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community
  • Sidney Tuttle, Santee Sioux Nation
  • Bobbi Jamerson, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
  • Austin Kasto, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
  • Billi Beheler, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
  • Dawn Dionne, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa
  • Terri Lee Medina, Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska

“Announcing Cohort 15 immediately following the Native Governance Center’s (NGC) 10-year celebration truly emphasizes our enduring commitment to Indigenous leadership and Native Nation-Rebuilding,” said Executive Director Amber Annis. “The new cohort isn’t just joining a program; they are becoming part of a vast and influential network. Cohort 15 is joining the constellation of Indigenous thought leaders and changemakers, and we are excited to see the innovative ways this new group will lead us forward.”

Throughout the year, Rebuilders will participate in a series of in-person and virtual sessions focused on governance tools, nation-building strategies, and actionable frameworks for sustainable change. Upon graduation, they will join a robust alumni network of leaders who actively influence policy, revitalize Indigenous languages, advance tribal enterprises, and mentor future generations.