Meet the Staff
David J. O'Connor (Anishinaabe or Ojibwe name is Bwaakoningwiid) is originally from and is a citizen of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. In January 2012, he became the Education Consultant - American Indian Studies Program at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). In David's role at DPI, he supports school districts' efforts to provide instruction on the histories, cultures and tribal sovereignty of American Indian Nations and tribal communities of Wisconsin, often referenced as Wisconsin Act 31, and the education of Native American students.
David provides training opportunities and presents at conferences and workshops on American Indian Studies and provides general consultation on issues related to Native American education. He also serves as liaison to the Tribal Nations and communities of Wisconsin; tribal education departments, the Wisconsin Indian Education Association (WIEA), the Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council (GLITC), the Special Committee on State-Tribal Relations, and the Office of Indian Education - U.S. Department of Education.
David received both his Master of Science (M.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI. He is also a graduate of the School District of Ashland in Ashland, WI, where he did his K-12 education and a graduate of the Bad River Head Start in Odanah, WI on the Bad River Indian Reservation where he started his education and early learning.