Turquoise Devereaux

I’m a part of the Salish and Blackfeet tribes and grew up in a very small town on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Western Montana. I was raised by my grandparents who always supported me and emphasized the importance of education. I graduated with my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) from the University of Montana in 2016 and my Master of Social Work (MSW) focusing on Policy, Aministration and Community Practice from Arizona State University in 2019. 

In my career, I have worked at American Indian Student Services and TRIO- Upward Bound at the University of Montana where I assisted Native American, low income and first generation college and high school students be successful in higher education through advocacy, mentorship and resource referral. I also continued to consult on historical and intergenerational trauma of Native Americans and how to create culturally safe spaces at a community, institutional, state and regional level. While employed at the University of Montana, I was on the Diversity Advisory Council, advised a research team on diversity, provided training to staff and faculty on creating inclusive environments and ensured Indian Education for all at an institutional level within the Montana University System by helping create a Native American Studies certificate program.

I received a Diversity Leadership Award during my undergraduate and the Indian Support Staff of the Year Award from Montana Indian Education Association for 2017. During my graduate career at Arizona State University, I was elected Vice President of the American Indian Social Work Student Association (AISWSA) and the student representative on the School of Social Work Strategic Planning Committee and the Watts College Committee on Diversity and Inclusion influencing curriculum and retention practices. I was so fortunate to be chosen as an American Indian Graduate Center Fellow, an ASU Graduate College Fellow, and received the National Association for Social Workers’ Consuelo W. Gosnell Memorial Scholarship for my work with American Indian populations.

My primary value as an Indigenous woman is collectivist collaboration in healing and perseverance. This drives my passion for providing spaces where a collectivist worldview is supported and promotes healing and identity through knowledge and culture confidence for indigenous communities. I am fortunate to understand my purpose and passion in life of how to serve my community by creating equal access to education and efficient services for Native American populations. I currently am the Project Coordinator in the Office of American Indian Services at Arizona State University School of Social Work. I conduct program evaluation with tribal communities within Arizona and aid in building tribal capacity while repecting soverign decision making while practicing from an Indigenous based framework. I also provide recruitment and retention services to American Indian students in the School of Social work at ASU.