Event Phone: 608-822-3276

Learn about American Indian Nations so you can use that learning in your classroom!   

Join us as we host guest speaker David O’Connor, Education Consultant with the American Indian Studies Program at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

David connects with educators to provide support for their understanding of the histories, cultures, and tribal sovereignty of American Indian Nations, peoples, and communities of Wisconsin. This day long workshop will provide in-depth presentation and discussion on American Indian Studies (Wisconsin Act 31).

Workshop Goals

• The workshop is designed to provide participants with the knowledge and information they need to integrate the requirements of American Indian Studies into lesson plans, material selections, pedagogical practices, and district curriculum. Information about American Indian Nations of Wisconsin, histories, cultures, tribal sovereignty, and treaty rights will be presented throughout the training workshop.
• The goals of the training are to share best practices, information, model programs, and resources with administrators and teachers so that they are knowledgeable about American Indian Studies and are able to meet the requirements of Wisconsin Act 31.

***Please note this training workshops will meet statutory license stipulations for “Wisconsin American Indian Tribes and Bands”, which is often referenced as American Indian Studies (Wisconsin Act 31). To receive credit, participants must complete the full-day training, as well as two follow-up assignments that will be discussed at the conclusion of the workshop.

About David O’Connor 

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 of Wisconsin 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 of 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.