Deidre Whiteman is Meskwaki, Dakota, Ojibwe, Hidatsa and an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota. Deidre started as a NABS research contractor in June of 2021 and then joined the team in April of 2022 as the Director of Research and Education. Deidre comes to NABS with 18 years of experience in education, including helping to establish a Dakota and Ojibwe language immersion school in south Minneapolis, a first of its kind school in the United States. Deidre has also worked with pre-service teachers at a tribal college, partnered with tribal youth to pursue higher education opportunities, and established health and wellness goals in a tribal community through the public health sector. Her passions are in education, language revitalization, community development, and Indigenous wellness practices. Deidre received her bachelor’s degree in education at Haskell Indian Nations University and a master’s degree from the University of Minnesota. Deidre is a lifelong learner and is currently working on her doctorate degree at the University of South Dakota. Her role as a mother, partner, daughter, sister, friend, and auntie guides the work she does and she is always thinking of how to make life better for the next generation.