Minneapolis American Indian Center

The Minneapolis American Indian Center serves a large and tribally diverse urban Native population, numbering over 35,000 in the eleven-county Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. The center has been the heart of the Twin Cities Native community since local leaders started the center in 1975, and today we carry on their legacy with majority Native leadership and staffing. Our mission is to provide critical services within a foundation of cultural values that meet the needs of the Native community. It is lived out through youth, elder, and intergenerational programs that help provide stability, strengthen connection to culture and community, improve health and wellness, achieve academic success, and establish pathways to living wage jobs that break the cycle of generational poverty. Programs and services are provided at no cost to participants. 

The Culture Language Arts Network (CLAN) provides cultural activities and teachings for families, youth, and adults, including Dakota and Ojibwe language classes. The program hosts weekly cultural family-friendly events and quarterly powwows that are open to all. 

Family Services provides advocacy and resources for Native women, families, and children.  The Indigenous Women’s Life Net (IWLN) guides and assists women who are healing from domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) programs provide culturally sensitive services that meet the needs of Native families involved in the Child Welfare System. Bright Beginnings supports new moms through cultural teachings, advocacy, and peer support.

Gatherings Cafe strives to provide accessible, healthy, Indigenous food and knowledge to the community. It serves fresh, locally grown foods that are prepared using innovation mixed with ancestral knowledge. The cafe is a full-service restaurant open for breakfast and lunch, Monday through Friday. Staff also provide educational opportunities for the community to gather and prepare foods native to Turtle Island. 

Native FAN (Fitness and Nutrition) addresses disparities in chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease in the Native community by promoting physical activity and healthy nutrition. The program operates an open gym and fitness center and hosts activities, such as volleyball, basketball, and pickleball, that are designed to get the community moving. 

The Native Elder Support Team (NEST) includes Congregate Dining, transportation, and fitness activities, nutrition education, and cooking classes.

The Boys and Girls Club of the Minneapolis American Indian Center offers comprehensive year-round programming for Native youth that encourages healthy behaviors, educational success, and positive cultural identities. Youth engage in cultural teachings and activities, attend educational field trips, and utilize state-of-the-art technology through the Best Buy Teen Tech Center. 

Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act provides employment and training services to the Native community residing within a 71-county service area across Minnesota. The program strives to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by reducing barriers to living wage jobs. 

Two Rivers Gallery uplifts and showcases emerging Native artists. A new art studio in the center also provides space for emerging artists to engage in their craft.