Saturday April 18, 2026 
6:00 - 7:30 PM

Plenary Speakers: Biskakone Johnson, a member of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and Samantha Skenandore, a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.

The History, the Reality and the Opportunity: How Rotary Can Build Goodwill and Better Friendships With Our Indigenous Neighbors

This plenary session will provide insightful information about the history of Native Americans in Wisconsin, the reality of life as Indigenous Peoples today, and what Rotarians can do with Native American neighbors to build goodwill and better friendships. 

Biskakone Greg Johnson is an Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) artist, educator, and cultural practitioner from the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin. He is a renowned traditional craftsman specializing in birch bark basketry, cedar bark mat weaving, and moccasin making, teaching these skills to help preserve Ojibwe culture. He is also an Ojibwe language instructor for the Lac du Flambeau Tribe. He has spoken at Rotary President-Elect Training and at Rotary clubs in northern Wisconsin.

Samantha Skenandore is an attorney specializing in Federal Indian Law and Tribal Law and a citizen of the Ho-Chunk Nation, with Oneida ancestry. She previously served as an associate justice for the Ho-Chunk Nation Supreme Court and works extensively with Ojibwe bands and other Great Lakes tribes. Samantha is a frequent speaker on issues including tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, protection of sacred Indigenous sites such as the effigy mounds in the Madison/Four Lakes region, and the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women.

The conversation will be moderated by Roger Utnehmer, 2024–25 Governor of Rotary District 6220. Roger is a past president of the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay and currently a member of the Rotary Club of Wausau. He is the retired President and CEO of Nicolet Broadcasting and was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Hall of Fame.