Ain Dah Yung (Our Home) Center

History:

Founded in 1983, the Ain Dah Yung Center (“Our Home” in Ojibwe), grew in response to the disproportionate number of American Indian youth in the homeless population. We use a culturally responsive/trauma-informed model that equips American Indian youth with the skills to move beyond crisis-oriented services toward greater independence and self-sufficiency. All three of ADYC’s facilities are in the geographical location of St. Paul, MN. 

Need / Population Served:

The latest data shows that 10,475 children in Minnesota were placed in out-of-home care, of that, American Indian children accounted for 19% and are 16 times more likely than white children to experience out-of-home care, according to a 2023 report by the Minnesota Department of Human Services, despite American Indian Youth only making up 1.7% of the youth population in the state. 

Minnesota Department of Health data further exacerbate these stats reflecting that 1.3% of high schoolers in grades 9-11 have traded sex or sexual activity to receive money, food, drugs, alcohol, a place to stay, or anything else. Of this percentage, 4.3% were American Indian and a staggering 8.9% were American Indian LGBTQ2+. There is now extensive evidence that the impacts of these traumas along with historical traumas, have direct, causal links to the disproportionately high rates of suicide, domestic violence, child abuse, and alcoholism/drug abuse, experienced by American Indian people. This cycle of suffering and displacement is also responsible for and intensifies the high rates of homelessness experienced by American Indian youth

While several agencies serving homeless young people are available in the Twin Cities, agencies incorporating American Indian cultural practices are wholly absent. ADYC’s culturally responsive continuum of housing programming therefore stands apart and has proven uniquely successful, helping unsheltered American Indian youth achieve housing safety, stability, and economic self-sufficiency.

Our success results from our approach, which is rooted in the concept that creating spaces and places that foster a shared American Indian identity built on the values, cultural strengths, and spiritual traditions of American Indian communities, is key to helping young people overcome generations of historical trauma while equipping them for self-reliance and success. At ADYC, Culture IS Prevention. We intentionally prioritize American Indian cultures and traditions in our delivery of services through trauma-informed, strengths-based, and person-first approaches. As we help our youth understand historical trauma and replace a sense of blame and shame with positive cultural acquisition, we are also able to help them find healthy ways to respond to stress and trauma, and most importantly—heal. 

Mission and Programs:

The Ain Dah Yung Center’s mission is to provide a healing place within the community for American Indian youth and families to thrive in safety and wholeness. Our core services include:

• Housing and Stabilization Services that includes Emergency shelter (24/7/365 for ages 5-17), Beverley A Benjamin Youth lodge (transitional living ages 16-21), Mino Oski Ain Dah Yung (permanent supportive housing for ages 18-24) and Street Outreach Program (homeless and runaway services.)
• Clinical Health and Wellness that includes, Suicide Prevention (culturally responsive) Youth and Family Therapy (mental health service) and Ramsey County Children's Mental Health (Case Management)
• Youth and Family Services that include Ninijanisag (Engagement and Chemical/Alcohol and tobacco prevention), Oyate Nawajin (support and advocacy for child protection cases), Wotakuye Program, (healthy and supportive circle of support) and Zhawenima (culturally specific trauma informed care). Through partnerships with local agencies and experts in trauma- informed care, ADYC has developed innovative programs tailored to the cultural and social realities of the youth and families we serve.
• Coming in 2025! Integrated Care for High-Risk Pregnancies - (ICHRP) program is a low birthweight and preterm birth focused initiative addressing American Indian pregnancy-related disparities. 

Learn more at adycenter.org