KOTA Territory NewsRapid City college hosts Cultural Competency Seminar

Rapid City college hosts Cultural Competency Seminar

Promote diversity by helping to develop an understanding of cultural differences-- that's the message one KOTA Territory college spread Tuesday morning.

The School of Mines hosted a Cultural Competency Seminar on the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota people.

More than 200 people were in attendance to hear Dr. Craig Howe, director of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies.

Main topics included spiritual traditions of the Lakotas, historical overview of the tribes, and the cultural and historical context of the Black Hills.

"As the world grows smaller because of travel and communications, it becomes more and more important to be able to work competently with other cultures and part of that is being aware of their context and their history," said Scott Wiley, Director of Multi-Cultural Affairs at the School of Mines.

Native Americans comprise 4.5 percent of the student body of the School of Mines.