Minneapolis American Indian Center

The Minneapolis American Indian Center provides essential services and a community gathering space for a large and tribally diverse urban Native population; we serve 10,000 people a year through our programs and more than 25,000 people visit the center annually for events and activities. The center is the community gathering spot and cultural connection point for the many Native kids, families, adults, and elders who live in the Twin Cities. The center has been the heart of the community since it was started by local leaders in the 1970s, and today we carry on their legacy with majority Native leadership and staffing. Our mission is to provide essential 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. 

The center continuously adapts to meet the needs of our relatives. Our building reopened in 2024 after undergoing an extensive $32.5 million renovation that provided needed maintenance, expanded and improved spaces, and set the center up to be a community hub for years to come. 

Please read on to learn more about the programs and services available to our relatives at no cost to participants. 

The Culture Language Arts Network (CLAN) provides accessible, free cultural activities and teachings for families, youth, and adults, including in-person and online free Dakota and Ojibwe language classes that reach hundreds of people across Turtle Island (North America). The program hosts weekly cultural family-friendly events and quarterly powwows that are open to all. These events and classes help reconnect our community to our culture, repairing connections lost due to historical forced assimilation policies and residential boarding schools. 

Family Services provides advocacy and resources for Native women, families, and children.  The Indigenous Women’s Life Net (IWLN) provides culturally specific support and resources to women who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) programs provide culturally sensitive services, monitoring, and case management that help Native families involved in the Child Welfare System. Bright Beginnings supports new moms who have a history of Child Protective Services (CPS) through cultural teachings, advocacy, and peer support. Early Intervention Services provides financial support, advocacy, and resources to families experiencing crisis to keep families together and help prevent them from entering the child protection system. 

Gatherings Cafe strives to provide accessible, healthy, Indigenous food and knowledge to the community. The breakfast and lunch restaurant, located within the center, serves fresh, locally grown foods that are prepared using innovation mixed with ancestral knowledge. Staff also provide educational opportunities for the community to learn to gather and prepare foods native to Turtle Island. 

Native FAN (Fitness and Nutrition) addresses health disparities 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, pickleball, and free workout classes that are designed to get the community moving and build healthier lifestyles. 

The Native Elder Support Team (NEST) provides community, activity, and free meals to our Elders. The program offers Congregate Dining, free transportation, fitness activities, nutrition education, and cultural field trips. 

The Boys & 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 connection. 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 (WIOA) program promotes independence and self-determination by providing 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 in its new gallery space housed. The center is also home to an art studio that can be rented and is used by center programs for sewing circles and other cultural activities.