Hello, My name is Iyankawin Yellow Hawk and I am an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, located in Rosebud, South Dakota. I am a junior at the University of South Dakota studying Psychology, and minoring in Theatre. My sole plans after receiving my bachelors degree is to go into law school, and study in areas relating to criminal law, tribal law, and civil rights law. My objective is to work for my tribe, as well as gain experiences of working in the national criminal law system, in addition to criminology. I want to help indigenous peoples in receiving equal treatment and rights throughout the criminal justice system whether that would be help in protecting tribal lands and their civil rights.
I grew up being strongly involved and grounded with my Lakota culture, traditional Lakota way of life, and my Lakota language. My goal is to always be an active member of my community. My father Royal Yellow Hawk is a fluent speaker in Lakota, tribal council representative, and traditional Lakota singer. My grandmother Sandra Black Crow was a college instructor at Sinte Gleska University, teaching the Lakota language. My goal in the beginning however was to work for my tribe, help the people by bettering communities, as well as other indigenous communities.
