SDSU’s diversity learning associate travels to Turkey

As part of The Turkish Coalition of America’s ongoing efforts to expand educational exchanges between the United States and universities in Turkey, the group is sponsoring a Native American Lecture Tour in Turkey with an expert from South Dakota State University. The tour coincides with the White House conference with Native American Tribal Nations on Nov. 5.

Valerian Three Irons, a Mandan tribal member on the TCA tour of Turkey, is the diversity and service-learning associate at SDSU and program director for the International Partnership for Service-Learning and Leadership Lakota Nation at State. His participation and expertise were introduced to TCA by the South Dakota World Affairs Council.

“For the last two years, TCA has been working with institutes of higher learning, including tribal colleges, in the U.S. and universities throughout Turkey to establish scholarship opportunities, partnerships for academic exploration, and friendships between higher learning institutions,” said G. Lincoln McCurdy, President of the TCA. 

“We hope that these efforts will advance both educational and cultural understanding between our nations. TCA is proud to conduct this program with the support of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.”

The tour will bring educators from Mandan, Hopi, Isleta/San Juan Pueblo and Mohawk tribes from South Dakota State University, Northern Arizona University and Institute of American Indian Arts to 12 universities in four cities in Turkey concluding with a Native American Conference at Hacettepe University in Ankara.

 Other participating Turkish universities include Ondokuz Mayis University in Samsun, Abant Izzet Baysal University in Bolu, Bahcesehir, Bogazici, Halic, Istanbul Technical University, Koc, Ozyegin and Sabanci University in Istanbul and Bilkent and Middle East Technical University in Ankara.
 
The tour aims to expose Turkish educators and students to different Native American cultures and customs. It will also explore ways to establish future collaboration between tribal colleges and other institutions with Native American programs in the U.S. and institutions of higher education in Turkey.

TCA will be promoting its Study Abroad in Turkey Scholarship Program for American Minority Students during the tour. TCA awards up to 100 scholarships per year for eligible American minority students, including Native Americans, who have been accepted to a university in Turkey or in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. 

The Native American Conference, organized by the Department of American Culture and Literature at Hacettepe University, will last two days. The conference will explore topics of cultural survival through Native American literature and the arts.

On his return, Three Irons will give presentations about his experience through sponsorship by the South Dakota World Affairs Council. SDWAC has coordinated Turkish Cultural Foundation-sponsored summer trips to Turkey for South Dakota teachers since 2007.

For more information about SDWAC, interested people can contact Harriet Swedlund at 605-688-5416.

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Photo: SDSU Diversity and Service-Learning Associate Valerian Three Irons is sharing his Mandan culture with students and faculty at universities in Turkey.