Floyd "Buck" Jourdain, Jr. Graduates with Bemidji State University's Class of 2021

(Red Lake, MN, July 2, 2021) Red Lake Nation College (RLNC) is proud to announce that RLNC alum and staff member, Floyd "Buck" Jourdain, Jr., recently earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Bemidji State University, with a minor in Indigenous Studies.

Jourdain is an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation whose Indigenous studies roots go back to the Red School House survival school in St Paul, where he was educated in Indian history, culture, and the rights of Indians and tribes. After Red School House, he returned home and graduated from Red Lake High School. He served as Tribal Chairman of the Red Lake Nation from 2004 to 2014. In 2016, he was awarded the prestigious Bush Fellowship for leadership development and was identified as one of the Midwest's most accomplished and innovative leaders in our region.

As part of his fellowship, he attended Red Lake Nation College, taking courses in math and English before transferring to Bemidji State. "I didn't receive a degree from RLNC," explained Jourdain, "however, had I not taken the courses here, my chances of graduating with a four-year degree would have diminished considerably. Our tribal college made a difference for me and it continues to make a difference for our students, communities, and Tribe."

As RLNC's Director of Equity, Cultural Education & Archives, Jourdain leads the college's Cultural Education initiatives, sharing cultural knowledge with students, staff and faculty, as well as with the public through RLNC's Extension and Community Education Programs. He is also working to establish a larger, more permanent Tribal Archives.