Dave Beeksma is an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and a veteran whose life and career have been shaped by a deep commitment to tribal sovereignty and Native nation building. He has served his own community as Chief Tribal Judge and President of the Red Cliff Business Development Corporation, and brings firsthand understanding of the economic, governance, and jurisdictional challenges facing tribal nations — from limited access to capital and broadband, to the ongoing struggle to protect and expand tribal sovereignty in an uncertain federal landscape. As Director of the Native Nations Institute at the University of Arizona's Udall Center — now marking 25 years of service to Indian Country — Dave leads an institute dedicated to strengthening Indigenous governance and self-determination across tribal nations. With a background spanning nearly forty years of federal service at the Department of the Interior and Department of Defense, tribal judiciary, and higher education, he works to connect research, policy, and on-the-ground partnerships that support lasting, community-driven change.