Pokagon Band of Potawatomi elects new Tribal Council members

DOWAGIAC — The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians announced the election of its new Tribal Council Members who were sworn in during a ceremony on Saturday, Aug. 10.

Matthew Wesaw was elected Tribal Chairman, Sam Morseau was re-elected Secretary, Mark Topash was re-elected Member At Large, and John P. Warren was elected Elders Representative. Matthew Wesaw succeeds Rebecca Richards, who completed a three-year term as Chairwoman and John P. Warren succeeds Barbara Ann Warren who completed a three-year term as Elder Representative.

The Pokagon Tribal Council governs the sovereign government of the Pokagon Band and contains 11 members who are elected to staggered, three-year terms by Pokagon Citizens.  Any adult Pokagon Citizen can run for Tribal Council.  Within the Tribal Council, the executive officers include positions of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer.  Pokagon Tribal Council Members also serve on the Pokagon Gaming Authority, which oversees the Pokagon Band’s Four Winds Casinos.

“I would like to thank Rebecca Richards and Barabara Ann Warren for their service,” Matthew Wesaw said. “I would also like to congratulate Sam Morseau and Mark Topash for their new terms, and John Warren, for his return to the Tribal Council.  I look forward to working closely with our Tribal Council to focus on the priorities for our Tribal Nation.”

Matthew Wesaw is the longest serving Chair of the Pokagon Band Tribal Council. This marks his fourth election as Chairman, the first time in 2008, and again in 2012, 2018 and 2024.  Originally from Bangor, Michigan, Chairman Wesaw enlisted with the Michigan State Police in 1975.  During his 26-year career as a State Trooper, Chairman Wesaw received extensive departmental training in numerous specialty areas and was twice nominated for the coveted Gerstacker Award, given annually to recognize the Michigan State Police Trooper of the Year.  In 1995 he was elected as the Vice President of the Michigan State Police Troopers Association, a post he served in until his retirement in January 2001.  Following his retirement, Chairman Wesaw returned to work for the Troopers Association as the Director of Government Relations, where his lobbying and political experience helped represent and protect the interests of the State Police.  He held that post until his retirement in March 2008.  In October 2013, he announced his retirement from the Pokagon Band Tribal Council to become the Executive Director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.  Chairman Wesaw is the first Native American to serve in the cabinet of a sitting Governor in Michigan.  Chairman Wesaw is also the recipient of four gubernatorial appointments, serving on the Michigan Community Service Commission, as past Chairman of the Michigan Commission on Indian Affairs, as only the second Native American to be appointed to the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, serving as Chairman for the last two years, and the Council for Law Enforcement and Reinvention.  In 2019 Chairman Wesaw was appointed to the Board of Trustees for Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing, Michigan.  He became Chairman of the Board of Trustees on July 1, 2024.  He is a past Board Member of the Lansing North American Indian Center and the Nokomis Learning Center.  Chairman Wesaw holds dual associate degrees from Lansing Community College and a bachelor’s degree from Great Lakes Christian College in Christian Leadership and Communication.

Sam Morseau, the son of Stan and Linda Morseau, has more than 20 years of experience dedicated to indigenous education, strategic planning, and cultural immersion.  In 2014, Mr. Morseau returned to his ancestral homelands to begin advocating for the indigenous students of Michigan.  In addition to serving as the Director of Education, Morseau also served as Chairman of the Confederated Michigan Tribal Education Directors (CMTED) and President of the Tribal Education Directors National Assembly (TEDNA).  Mr. Morseau continues to advocate for tribal nations by promoting educational sovereignty through government-to-government capacity building.

Mark Topash, father of Lauren, Alex, and Emma Topash, brings to Tribal Council an extensive business background.  Currently Mr. Topash is the Founder & CEO of HLTHINNOVATORS, a firm specializing in go-to-market commercialization strategies for new health technology companies.  Mr. Topash has 30 years of professional experience in healthcare business, including new technology commercialization and U.S. health care reimbursement. Mr. Topash possesses a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia campus, where he also resided during his formative years.  Mr. Topash wishes to provide his sincere thanks to the Pokagon Band membership for voting to give him an opportunity to serve and make a difference for the Tribe.

Born and raised in South Bend, Ind., John P.  Warren has served the Pokagon Band in some capacity for most of his adult life.  While a council member prior to federal recognition, he worked with the University of Notre Dame’s Law School to create the first draft application that led to the reaffirmation of the Band’s sovereignty in 1994.  As treasurer, he is credited with directing the implementation of quarterly financial reviews, key performance indicators, and financial policies and procedures for the developing tribal government.  Mr. Warren was elected Chairman of the Pokagon Band in 2013 following the departure of Matthew Wesaw, and served out the remainder of the term.  He was re-elected Chair in 2015 and served until 2018.  Mr. Warren has an associate’s degree of applied science in business administration from Ivy Tech Community College and is a veteran of the U.S. Army and Indiana National Guard.  He has traveled the United States and Canada educating others about the Pokagon Band and Potawatomi culture.  He is a traditional dancer, and a singer and drummer with the Ribbon Town Singers.

Other members of the 11-member Tribal Council continuing in their terms include Gary Morseau, Vice Chair; Alex Wesaw, Treasurer; Andrew Bennett, Member At Large; John Morseau, Member At Large; Rhonda Keene, Member At Large; Mark Parrish, Member At Large; and Victor Warren, Member At Large.

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