American Indian Community House

American Indian Community House
Antony-22 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Name	American Indian Community House
Formation	1969
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	155 Christopher Street, New York, New York
Location	Manhattan, Greenwich Village, New York City
Region served	Native American communities of New York State and the Northeastern United States
Services	Cultural programs, social services, education, legal assistance, housing support

American Indian Community House American Indian Community House is a nonprofit community center established in 1969 in New York City to serve Indigenous peoples from across the United States and Canada living in the metropolitan area. Founded during a period of activism associated with the American Indian Movement, the organization links urban Native populations with cultural, social, and legal resources while engaging with institutions such as the Museum of the City of New York, New York University, and Columbia University. The center has hosted exhibitions, legal clinics, and community programs involving collaborations with groups like the National Congress of American Indians, Native American Rights Fund, and local tribal nations including the Iroquois Confederacy and the Seneca Nation.

History

The organization emerged amid late-1960s Indigenous activism that included events connected to the Red Power movement and the founding of the American Indian Movement in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Early founders—Native activists, artists, and advocates who had migrated to Manhattan from reservations such as those governed by the Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Acoma, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe—established programming inspired by precedents like the Urban Indian Centers movement. During the 1970s and 1980s the center developed partnerships with legal entities including the Indian Health Service’s advocates and the Legal Services Corporation to mount clinics and policy campaigns related to the Indian Child Welfare Act and housing crises affecting Indigenous residents. In subsequent decades the organization curated exhibitions and collaborated with cultural institutions such as the American Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Institution to increase Indigenous visibility in New York cultural life.

Mission and Programs

The center’s mission aligns with objectives pursued by organizations like the National Museum of the American Indian and the Native American Rights Fund: to preserve Indigenous languages, arts, and civic life while providing social support for urban Native populations. Core programs mirror services offered by groups such as the Urban Indian Health Program, offering language classes covering Lakota language, Ojibwe language, and Diné Bahaneʼ traditions, alongside arts instruction influenced by practitioners connected to the Institute of American Indian Arts. The organization conducts legal aid and benefits counseling in concert with advocates from the Legal Aid Society and veterans’ advocates related to the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Educational partnerships have included collaborations with CUNY campuses and cultural projects with the New-York Historical Society.

Facilities and Services

Situated in a landmarked building in Greenwich Village, the center houses gallery space, classroom facilities, a community kitchen, and offices for social service delivery. Gallery exhibitions have showcased artists affiliated with the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, the Heard Museum, and individual practitioners from the Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk Nation, and Tlingit communities. Services provided echo models established by organizations such as the Urban Indian Health Institute: case management, housing referrals, food distribution in partnership with Food Bank For New York City, and assistance with accessing benefits administered by entities like the Social Security Administration.

Community Impact and Advocacy

The organization has played a role in advocacy campaigns similar to those run by the National Congress of American Indians and the American Civil Liberties Union on issues ranging from urban housing policy to cultural repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Its policy work has intersected with municipal agencies including the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, advancing programs for Indigenous veterans, elders, and youth. The center has also amplified tribal sovereignty conversations connected to nations such as the Oneida Nation and the Mohawk Nation.

Events and Cultural Activities

Annual and recurring events mirror festivals organized by institutions like the National Museum of the American Indian and include powwows, film series, and exhibitions drawing on networks of artists associated with the Native American Film + Video Festival and literary figures connected to the Poets House. The center has hosted performances and lectures featuring figures from the worlds of Indigenous literature and music who have ties to organizations such as the Pen America and the Sundance Institute. Collaborative events have involved cultural programming with the Brooklyn Museum and community outreach during city-wide celebrations like Native American Heritage Month.

Governance and Funding

Governance follows nonprofit models common to entities such as the New York Foundation and boards composed of Indigenous leaders, legal professionals, and cultural directors similar to those serving on boards of the Ford Foundation–funded projects. Funding streams include private philanthropy from foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and government grants administered through agencies such as the New York State Council on the Arts and federal programs tied to the Administration for Native Americans. Fiscal accountability has been maintained via typical nonprofit mechanisms, audits, and reporting comparable to standards used by the Charities Bureau of the New York State Department of Law.

Notable People and Alumni

Notable individuals connected with the center include activists, artists, and scholars who have engaged with institutions like Harvard University, Barnard College, and the City University of New York. Alumni and collaborators have gone on to roles in organizations such as the Native American Rights Fund, the National Congress of American Indians, and academic positions in Indigenous studies programs at Columbia University and the University of California, Berkeley. Artists and cultural leaders who have exhibited or taught there include those affiliated with the First Peoples Fund, the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Category:Native American organizations Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City Category:Cultural centers in New York City