NEWS
President of the American Studies Association visits Mongolia
Prof. Phil Deloria, President of the American Studies Association and Professor at the University of Michigan, presented three topics on environmental history to Mongolian environmentalists, environment lecturers and professors and other interested audiences. Topics included “Traditions of environmental protection in American history,” “American environmental history of the 19th and 20th centuries,” and “ Environmental concerns transition from local to regional, then state, then national and international problems.”
During his visit Prof. Deloria met with Professor Dulam of the National University of Mongolia’s Anthropology Department to talk about Sioux practices with the professor and one of his students. They compared interesting similarities between certain Sioux ceremonies and Mongol shamanic rituals. Phil Deloria also met with researchers at the Institute of International Studies of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, where he gave a short presentation on “Mixed races in the U.S.,” followed by an open discussion on the subject. He also gave a 30-minute lecture on Native Americans for Education TV.
After each presentation Prof. Deloria received numerous questions and comments about his academic research. Audiences found his remarks on the effect of industrial and economic development on the environmental sector, the transition from public to private property and the consequences for the environment, as well as the importance of government policy for the environment particularly useful. His lectures enhanced environmental awareness among audiences.
From talking with Prof. Deloria informally before he left Mongolia, it seemed as though a number of interesting ideas and directions came out of the various meetings and sessions. It was difficult to gauge the audiences’ exact interests prior to arrival in Ulaanbaatar and meeting with them face-to-face. These additional topics might be explored in a future visit or exchange.