As the first Native American from Michigan to receive an honorary degree from a major state university, Joseph Sowmick felt humbled, yet excited to have shared the day with other Tribal members who graduated on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Rose Arena.
Sowmick received an honorary doctor of public service degree from Central Michigan University for his service and contributions to the college, the community, the state of Michigan and Indian Country.
It was a good day to be a Chippewa because from the Saginaw Chippewa perspective there were a lot of Tribal members in attendance, Sowmick said. And we had several Tribal members, including Native Veteran Eli Borton, who graduated that day.
It was nice to be honored in the same ceremony with them.
Sowmick joins the company of N. Scott Momaday, Kiowa who received an honorary degree from CMU in 1970; Beatrice Medicine, Standing Rock Sioux who received an honorary degree from Michigan State University in 1998; and Dwight Gourneau, Turtle Mountain Chippewa who received an honorary degree from the University of Michigan in 2001.
Sowmick, public relations director and legislative affairs director for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, is a primary resource and liaison to CMUs Board of Trustees.
He has worked tirelessly to help maintain and strengthen the historic and cooperative relationship between the Tribe and CMU, a resolution by the board said. He is a highly regarded member of the Central Michigan University Presidents Advisory Council and provides valuable perspective as the university continues to educate the campus and area communities about the culture, wisdom, and history of indigenous peoples.
Sowmick is an award winning photojournalist of the Native American Journalist Association who is editor for the Tribes monthly news publication the Tribal Observer.
I think the importance of Natives in the media, is that it gives an opportunity for us to tell our story, instead of history, Sowmick said. Certainly gaming is going to dominate a lot of discussion, but when it comes to hearing about Native education issues, health care issues, and academic issues people have challenges within Native Country.
A lot of times you dont get to hear about those sorts of things, but this allows us a platform to make those stories come to life, he said.
Sowmicks media background includes radio, press and television, and he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in telecommunications from Michigan State University and graduated summa cum laude with his Associates degree in media technology from Lansing Community College.
Joe is regarded by many in our Tribal community as an example of what can be accomplished when one aspires to servant leadership, Tribal Chief Fred Cantu, Jr. explains. The true blessing of servant leadership is to give of yourself to God and the community where you live.
Sowmick serves as a board member to numerous organizations including his reappointment by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to the Michigan Community Service Commission, a third term reappointment as a member of the Central Michigan Community Hospital Board of Directors, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Health Board and Kiwanis International of Mt. Pleasant.