Meet the Staff
David J. O'Connor, whose Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) name is Bwaakoningwiid (pictured at right), is originally from and an enrolled citizen of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Odanah, WI on the Bad River Indian Reservation.
In January 2012, he began serving as the Education Consultant for the American Indian Studies Program at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). In this role, he supports school districts across Wisconsin in implementing instruction on the histories, cultures, and tribal sovereignty of American Indian Nations and tribal communities in the state requirements commonly known as American Indian Studies (Wisconsin Act 31) and the education of Indigenous students.
David delivers professional development trainings and presents at conferences and workshops focused on American Indian Studies (Wisconsin Act 31), while also offering general consultation on matters related to Indigenous education. He serves as a liaison to Tribal Nations and communities throughout Wisconsin, as well as to tribal education departments of Wisconsin and organizations, including 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 is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership at Edgewood University in Madison, Wisconsin. He earned both his Master of Science (M.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Madison, Wisconsin. David is a graduate of the School District of Ashland in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he completed his K–12 education. He began his educational journey at the Bad River Head Start, where he first engaged in early learning.