North America / Turtle Island
After being invited by Inuit visitors to Japan in 1977 to tour North America, twenty-four members of the the Ainu Society for Self Advancement set out in late 1978. This is understood to be the first time that Ainu representatives visited North America for the purpose of engaging with other Indigenous peoples.
Just as they had done in China, Ainu activists were keen to visit other parts of the world and find ideas and strategies that were useful for their own survival and flourishing. Some future delegations would specifically involve Ainu youth or women and had a focus on subjects of interest to them in particular. When they returned home, delegates would always host meetings to disseminate knowledge among the community.