Kyle Iron Lightning is a citizen of the Spirit Lake Dakota Nation. 
He served in the U.S. Navy for over eight years before earning his bachelor’s degree at Seattle Pacific University, then moving on to the William Mitchell College of Law where he obtained his J.D. in 2015.
Throughout law school Kyle was active in the Native American Law Student Association (“NALSA”) and the Indian Law Program. In addition to being a NALSA board member, he was a Student Representative on the board of the Minnesota American Indian Bar Association. During his first summer of law school, he clerked for the Minnesota Indian Estate Planning Project, helping Indian landowners ensure continued ownership and control of their lands. He later clerked for the Prairie Island Indian Community.
Kyle is currently a Code Developer and Judicial Liaison for the Spirit Lake Nation. As Code Developer, he makes recommendations to the Tribal Council on improvements to the Tribal Law & Order Code, educates tribal citizens about changes to the Code, and addresses issues raised by citizens. Additionally, Kyle serves as the Chairman of the Executive Board of the Spirit Lake Nation. He advises the Tribal Council on a variety of issues, including drug policy reform, state-tribal relations, and constitutional reform.
In his free time, Kyle enjoys running, playing hockey, ice fishing, and hunting waterfowl. He is an accomplished Men’s Northern Traditional Dancer (O Maha Wacipi style).