Chad Dahlen

I am an enrolled member of the Three Affiliated Tribes as well as being a Lakota tribal member. During my career, I have been a head girls basketball coach, track, volleyball and boys basketball coach; while also serving on several boards in my local community - Dunn County Soil Conservation Board, Dunn County Housing Board and the Indigenous Media Freedom Alliance Non Profit Board. I am an advocate for the youth and look forward to putting my experience to work for AIRO.

​

I am located near Twin Buttes, North Dakota just off the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation where I operate a family ranch with my wife, Michelle and our six kids. I have served as an educator, coach, and administrator in the New Town, Twin Buttes, and Killdeer school systems. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Minot State University, Masters in Education at the University of Mary, my Ph.D. in Educational Leadership at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

 

My research while at UND looked critically at how Native American students overcome barriers between high school and college. The particular emphasis was on perceptions of leadership through the critical lens of Three Tribes members. My research emphasized the use of traditional storytelling and portraiture in finding out how these members were able to overcome hurdles and still graduate from college.