United Indians of New England

United Indians of New England
Name	United Indians of New England
Type	Nonprofit organization
Founded	1970
Location	Providence, Rhode Island
Area served	New England
Focus	Native American cultural preservation, social services, advocacy

United Indians of New England

United Indians of New England is a nonprofit association based in Providence, Rhode Island, founded to serve Indigenous populations across New England. The organization engages in cultural preservation, social services, housing assistance, and advocacy linked to tribal communities, urban Indigenous residents, and allied organizations. It collaborates with local tribes, regional institutions, and national entities to promote Native American heritage and wellbeing.

History

United Indians of New England emerged in 1970 amid the broader 1960s and 1970s Indigenous rights movement that included the American Indian Movement, the Occupation of Alcatraz, and the Trail of Broken Treaties. Founding members included Native activists who had engaged with institutions such as the National Congress of American Indians, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Indian Health Service. Early work paralleled initiatives by the Urban Indian Council model and interacted with regional tribes including the Narragansett Tribe, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Mohegan Tribe, Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, and Penobscot Nation. The organization’s development reflected policy shifts after the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and advocacy seen in events like the Wounded Knee incident and campaigns by leaders associated with Wilma Mankiller and Vine Deloria Jr.. Over decades, it established programs alongside partners such as Brown University, Providence College, Rhode Island School of Design, Roger Williams University, University of Rhode Island, Boston University, Tufts University, and Harvard University.

Mission and Programs

The mission emphasizes cultural survival, social welfare, and sovereignty support, aligning with priorities seen in organizations like the National Indian Education Association, Native American Rights Fund, and Indian Health Service. Programs span cultural programming inspired by the work of Berry O. Benson and archival efforts similar to the Library of Congress Native collections, youth initiatives modeled after National Congress of American Indians youth councils, and health outreach akin to Indian Health Service clinics and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention partnerships. Educational activities echo collaborations with the National Museum of the American Indian, the Smithsonian Institution, the Peabody Essex Museum, and Plimoth Patuxet Museums. Workforce and housing programs mirror efforts by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, tribal housing authorities like Navajo Nation Housing Authority, and community development financiers such as the Ford Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Services and Community Impact

Services include emergency assistance, case management, cultural events, and elder support, comparable to services provided by AARP counterparts for seniors, and client-centered models used by Catholic Charities USA and Greater Boston Food Bank. Health and mental health referrals are coordinated with providers including Miriam Hospital, Rhode Island Hospital, Hasbro Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Education outreach operates with school districts such as Providence Public School District and partners like Rhode Island Department of Education and Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The impact is recorded in collaborations with tribes such as the Sokoki Band of the Abenaki, Narragansett Indian Tribe, Aroostook Band of Micmacs, and service networks including the Urban Indian Health Program and national advocacy campaigns by groups like the National Museum of the American Indian and First Nations Development Institute.

Governance and Funding

Governance follows nonprofit board structures similar to those at Native American Rights Fund and board practices observed at United Way Worldwide. Boards frequently include representatives from tribes such as the Narragansett Tribe, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Mohegan Tribe, and urban Native leaders with prior service at National Indian Education Association or National Congress of American Indians. Funding sources historically include federal grants from agencies such as the Administration for Native Americans, the Indian Health Service, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as private grants from foundations including the Ford Foundation, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and support from corporate philanthropy modeled by Bank of America and Wells Fargo. Annual audits follow standards referenced by Financial Accounting Standards Board guidance and nonprofit compliance with Internal Revenue Service requirements.

Partnerships and Advocacy

Partnerships span academic, cultural, and governmental institutions like Brown University, Rhode Island Historical Society, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Yale University, Harvard Law School, and tribal entities including Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Mohegan Tribe. Advocacy work intersects with legal efforts by the Native American Rights Fund, policy initiatives led by the National Congress of American Indians, and regional coalitions such as New England Indian Council-style networks and cross-sector campaigns including environmental actions relevant to tribes and organizations like Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. The organization has engaged in policy dialogues about federal statutes including the Indian Child Welfare Act, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and funding appropriations debated in the United States Congress.

Notable Events and Milestones

Milestones include establishment in 1970, cultural gatherings comparable to symposiums at the National Museum of the American Indian, housing initiatives aligned with HUD programs, and collaboration on repatriation efforts paralleling cases at the Smithsonian Institution. Significant events included regional conferences with participation from leaders linked to National Congress of American Indians, exhibitions coordinated with the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, and public health campaigns in partnership with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Indian Health Service. The organization has been recognized in local media outlets such as the Providence Journal and engaged in anniversaries commemorated with allies including Narragansett Tribe leaders, academics from Brown University, and cultural institutions like the Providence Athenaeum.

Category:Native American organizations