NEAH BAY — Makah Tribal Councilman Micah McCarty has returned from a three-week European tour as part of the Marshall Memorial Fellowship Program.

McCarty, 35, was one of 56 young, emerging American leaders chosen for the program aimed at strengthening European-American relations.

As one of only a handful of Native Americans to be chosen for the program in its 24-year history, McCarty said he found he was able to help bring a better understanding of Native American issues to both a global and domestic audience.

“This was a profound opportunity to enlighten my fellow American travelers on the current status of American Indians,” McCarty said.

“There was a genuine interest in this . . . and there seemed to be a very sincere acknowledgment of the things that I shared.”

McCarty said he had the opportunity to share his perspective on issues such as natural resource management, health care, education and American history.

However, the information was two-way, McCarty said.

He gained a wealth of understanding about the effects of globalization and immigration both abroad and at home.

The most striking thing that hit McCarty was the similarities between America and Europe in domestic unrest about the outsourcing of jobs, he said.