Now is the Time
We are seeking public and private donations to raise $16.5 million to build a permanent gathering place and service hub for the Native population of Spokane and the thousands of people we serve. Your support for the Campaign for A Forever Home will:
- Provide a stable, permanent gathering place for Spokane’s Indigenous community
- Ensure uninterrupted access to essential services for over 3,200 annual clients
- Honor Spokane’s heritage as a historic gathering place for Native peoples
Donations are tax-deductible within the limits prescribed by the law. Learn more here.
Questions? Contact Karen Stratton at karens@aiccinc.org.
Our Vision
The American Indian Community Center envisions a 25,000-square-foot facility designed to meet the cultural, social, and economic needs of Spokane’s Indigenous community. This state-of-the-art facility will be located in High Bridge Park near the confluence of the Latah Creek and Spokane River—a site with deep significance to the Spokane Tribe of Indians. The location will serve as both a cultural landmark and a vital resource hub.
Design
This new home will provide:
- Large venues for powwows, funerals, memorials, celebrations, and other community events
- A commercial kitchen to host congregate meals for elders and large community events
- A recreation center with a gym, a wellness center, and showers
- A community garden
- A sweat house/lodge
- A daycare and cultural education center to ensure that Native children grow up connected to their heritage
- Expanded behavioral health capacity, including a small clinic for our counseling clients
- A designed and expanded food bank to meet growing demand
- A cultural learning space for language instruction, arts, and traditional practices
Site Advantages
Amenities will include:
- Bus Route 20, every 30 minutes
- Ample parking
- Synergistic opportunities for the development of High Bridge Park including:
- Native Interpretation
- Site access to Spokane River
Our Path to Success
Our Goal
$16.5 Million
Federal Sources
Capital Campaign
(Congressional Appropriation, Grant from Economic Development Administration)
State Appropriation
New Market Tax Credit
Our Progress
- Land secured from the Parks Department
- Committee formed including City of Spokane, Parks Department, AICC, and Spokane Alliance
- Highest Capital Priority by the City of Spokane for 2023
- Interest by Community Development Financial Institutions in New Market Tax Credit Empire Health Investment
- Capital Campaign Manager assigned
- Commitments from various foundations
- Support from across the community
- Land secured from the Parks Department
- Committee formed including City of Spokane, Parks Department, AICC, and Spokane Alliance
- Highest Capital Priority by the City of Spokane for 2023
- Interest by Community Development Financial Institutions in New Market Tax Credit Empire Health Investment
- Capital Campaign Manager assigned
- Commitments from various foundations
- Support from across the community
Project History
Introduction
In the wake of the Relocation and Termination Acts of the 1950s – the final efforts by the federal government to “kill the Indian to save the man” – and with the promise of support, jobs and training, tens of thousands of American Indians and Alaska Natives abandoned the poverty of their reservations to move to urban centers across the United States. Between the 1950s and the 1980s, more than 750,000 Indians left their reservations for urban centers. Although promised federal support never materialized, more than 100 tribes were terminated, and more than 2.5 million acres were stolen from those terminated tribes, leaving thousands of newly urbanized indigenous residents of Turtle Island with no reservation to go home to.
Past Endeavors
Recognizing the growing needs of Spokane’s urban Native population, the American Indian Community Center (AICC) was established in 1967. As community and individual needs rapidly expanded, services were added to address those growing needs.
In nearly 60 years of service, the AICC has moved eleven times as a result of expired leases and rent increases. Each time the Center has moved, the communities we serve have temporarily lost access to the services upon which they depend. The American Indian Community Center is currently renting a small non-ADA compliant facility, which poses accessibility barriers and limits some of the services we offer.
While past efforts were made to secure a permanent location, they were doomed by a dearth of resources and the absence of official support.
Gaining Momentum
In recent years, momentum and support to build a forever home has increased significantly. Following years of advocacy and strategic planning, the City of Spokane designated this initiative as its highest capital funding priority in 2022. In January of 2023, members of Spokane City Council traveled to Olympia, WA to lobby state representatives and senators on behalf of the American Indian Community Center’s request for capital funding for construction of a forever home. The Spokane Parks Department has set aside land in High Bridge Park, and initial funding commitments from the city council and state representatives signal broad support.
Did You Know?
Today,
Urban Indians only receive
The poverty rate is
We Invite Your Support
Donate Today
Every contribution brings us closer to realizing a vision of community, culture, and resilience. Join us in creating a space where the past is honored, the present is supported, and the future is empowered. Together, we can ensure that Spokane’s Indigenous community thrives for generations to come.
Donations are tax-deductible within the limits prescribed by the law. Learn more here.
Stay Updated
We will continue to add ways to donate to our Campaign for A Forever Home. If you would like to be informed of future events and ways to donate, sign up here! If you have questions, contact Karen Stratton at karens@aiccinc.org.