Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot
Biography
Dr. Sheryl Lightfoot is Anishinaabe and a citizen of the Lake Superior Band of Ojibwe, enrolled at the Keweenaw Bay Community in Baraga, Michigan. Her personal heritage further strengthens her commitment and understanding of the challenges and aspirations of Indigenous communities.
She is currently the University of Minnesota’s Russell M. and Elizabeth M. Bennett Chair in Excellence in Public Affairs. She will have a joint appointment in American Indian Studies in the College of Liberal Arts.
Most recently, she served as Canada Research Chair in Global Indigenous Rights and Politics at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on the implementation of Indigenous rights, both globally and domestically.
Lightfoot has also served as president of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) and as vice chair and North American member of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP).
Prior to her academic career, Lightfoot gained valuable experience through 15 years of volunteer and contract work with various American Indian tribes and community-based organizations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. During this time, she served as the chair of the board of the American Indian Policy Center, a prominent research and advocacy group.
She is currently the University of Minnesota’s Russell M. and Elizabeth M. Bennett Chair in Excellence in Public Affairs. She will have a joint appointment in American Indian Studies in the College of Liberal Arts.
Most recently, she served as Canada Research Chair in Global Indigenous Rights and Politics at the University of British Columbia. Her research focuses on the implementation of Indigenous rights, both globally and domestically.
Lightfoot has also served as president of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Association (NAISA) and as vice chair and North American member of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP).
Prior to her academic career, Lightfoot gained valuable experience through 15 years of volunteer and contract work with various American Indian tribes and community-based organizations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. During this time, she served as the chair of the board of the American Indian Policy Center, a prominent research and advocacy group.