In our “Stakeholder Board Spotlight” series, we get to hear stories from our Stakeholder Board members across Michigan’s food system, including what sparked their career path and their thoughts on Michigan Good Food Fund’s next chapter. Next up is Michigan Good Food Fund Stakeholder Board member Dan Cornelius.
Dan Cornelius
Technical Assistance Specialist, Intertribal Agricultural Council-Great Lakes Region
Dan Cornelius was once introduced as a “man who wears a coat of many colors.” What stitches the coat together is Indigenous food sovereignty.
A member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Cornelius works as the Technical Assistance Specialist for the Intertribal Agricultural Council’s Great Lakes region, where his organization recently co-partnered with local hunger-relief organization in ensuring Indigenous elders has access to healthy and locally sourced Indigenous food during the pandemic.
He is also the Outreach Program Manager for the Indigenous Law Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Cornelius is also a wild-rice harvester, a corn-and-pumpkin steward, and a rancher, with his farm serving as a seed sanctuary.
“Access to capital has historically been a challenge in Native communities. This fund can help expand basic capital access while creating new connections for marketing, technical assistance, and business development.”
— Dan Cornelius