The leadership team for the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians has expanded with the election of new Tribal Council Members this week. Tribal officials tell us that Brandon Rapp has been elected as a Member-at-Large and John Morseau has been elected as the Treasurer.
Existing Tribal Council members Steve Winchester and Alex Wesaw were both re-elected to new terms as Members-at-Large, while Member-at-Large, Andy Jackson, and Treasurer, James R. Olds, both completed three-year terms.
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, where 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.
Matthew Wesaw, Tribal Council Chair, says, “I would like to recognize the work of Council Members Andy Jackson and James Olds. During their time on Council they were able to provide many positive efforts to improve the quality of life of our citizens and I would like to thank them for their work. I wish them the best in their next chapters.” He adds, “I would also like to welcome new incoming members John Morseau, Treasurer, and Brandon Rapp, Member-at-Large. I am sure they fully recognize they are coming in at a very trying and interesting time. I look forward to their positive efforts to move us forward.”
Commenting on his election, Rapp said, “A tribal leader should be focused on building a better community, not a better resume. My advice to those aspiring to become future Tribal Council members; our time on Tribal Council is very short, so make the most of that time to leave behind a great legacy for future generations. Migwėtth (Thank you).”
Commenting on his election, Morseau said, “I am excited for the challenges and opportunities presented by serving the Pokagon Band as the Tribal Council Treasurer. The Pokagon community assisted with my education and I am happy to use my training to serve the Pokagon Band for the next three years.”
Brandon Rapp has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Ferris State University. The Pokagon Band gave him an opportunity to gain valuable job training through its WIA program in 2003. He learned a lot about tribal government operations and IT during that time and eventually gained employment as a full-time IT Support Technician with the Pokagon Band, and later with Four Winds Casinos. Outside the tribe, Brandon worked as a Web Publisher for the South Bend Tribune where he helped manage their website and post new daily articles. Brandon also has experience working with tribal youth; he was a K-12 Tutor in the Pokagon Band Education Department, a Computer Class Instructor with the Boys & Girls Club of Bay Mills, and Camp Counselor for the Pokagon Band’s Culture Camp. He also has several years of experience serving the tribe including Salary Commission Chairperson, Enrollment Committee Chairperson, and Chi Ishobak Board of Directors Vice Chairperson.
John Morseau enjoyed serving individual Pokagon Citizens as an attorney during his previous employment. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Michigan State University and also graduated cum laude from the University of New Mexico School of Law. He has a strong connection to the Pokagon Band community. His biological parents are the late John Mark Morseau and Charlette Elaine Morseau. He was adopted early in life by his mother and father, Lucinda Graverette-Smith and Gregory Smith, and was raised in Dowagiac and currently resides in Hartford, Michigan. He has participated in Pokagon community events and the Pokagon Band’s Youth Council, and has also been involved in the Pokagon Band’s powwows and served as a counselor for the Band’s Culture Camp. John has worked for the Band in many capacities, first as a college intern in various Pokagon government departments and later as a clerk for the Pokagon Tribal Court. He also worked as a groundskeeper and was the first male beverage server for Four Winds Casinos.
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians’ sovereignty was reaffirmed under legislation signed into law by President Clinton in September of 1994. They are dedicated to providing community development initiatives such as housing, education, family services, medical care and cultural preservation for their more than 5,700 citizens. The Tribe’s ten-county service area includes four counties in Southwestern Michigan and six in Northern Indiana. Its main administrative offices are located in Dowagiac, with a satellite office in South Bend. In 2007, they opened Four Winds Casino Resort in New Buffalo, followed by Four Winds Hartford in 2011, Four Winds Dowagiac in 2013 and Four Winds South Bend in January 2018.
