NUIFC Newsletter // Defining Our Own Future
In this edition of the NUIFC eNewsletter, we learn about the ambitious Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative and a grand opening in San Antonio.
Native American non-profit organizations play a vital role in supporting their communities across the United States. These organizations are dedicated to preserving the cultural and traditional values of American Indian people while addressing the modern-day challenges facing their communities. Therefore, this work is usually being done at the cutting edge of social adversity via direct services and political undertakings.
Manufacturing a way to consistently meet the needs of your organization, whether fiscally or otherwise, is a challenge in and of itself, even before factoring in the work your organization aims to do. The practice of intermittently piecing together various forms of capital investments to keep a roof over your organization’s head is an age-old story that takes a toll on the capacity of an organization from coast to coast.
So in an age of equity, why are we still missing out?
American Indian Leaders in Minneapolis saw this challenge and began to look at its processes in a different way. A way that pays homage to the legacy of the leaders who came before them. This deliberation resulted in the appropriately named, Clyde Bellecourt Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative or UILI.
UILI’s inception, then nameless, began back in the summer of 2019 when the leadership of the Minneapolis urban Indian community was finding itself at a crossroads with state agencies and how they were administering grants. The impressions that were left on these leaders forced them to call into question the grant-making and resource distribution decisions that were leaving them feeling overlooked, marginalized, and forgotten.
Through verbal agreements, letters of support, and more than 75 meetings at every level of government, UILI was born and growing to its potential. 2021 awarded some but not all projects proposed but it was in 2022 that an unfortunate political divide in the legislature left UILI with nothing. This setback didn’t deter these leaders but forced them to work harder and louder. In 2023, UILI consisted of 14 tried and true Native non-profits with decades of providing service to thousands of Minnesotans who joined forces in a powerful pursuit of capital investment funds for all 14 organizations.
UILI's strategy falls in line with cultural values and strengthens itself in the same way these leaders operate with one another on a day-to-day basis. This strategic unification can be seen during the testimony before the Committee on Capitol Investment and in the rally preceding.
Dr. Joe Hobot, president and CEO of American Indian OIC, recalls a moment of guidance that has helped shape his advocacy on this campaign and shares that “every commitment is to the Tiospaye” a sentiment that speaks to the role each member of the greater community is responsible for taking care of their relatives. While a strong voice in this Initiative, Dr. Hobot makes reference to the power of the collective “A true collaborative requires its leadership to be rotational.” lending perspective to the notion that each one of these leaders carries the torch as they march forward.
$137 million is the cost of the projects needed to not only bring these buildings into the 21st century but to also finally address extremely necessary renovations and building acquisitions. With $17.9 billion in surplus, the money is there, and on January 13th this year a separate bill was passed by both houses in the Minnesota legislature to invest $500 million to re-vamp the state office buildings so it’s clear that everyone is on the same page when it comes to the need for capital investments, a heartening push in the right direction.
It’s worth mentioning that some of the buildings under UILI have turned closets into exam rooms and other buildings’ fire codes have been grandfathered in, an impending crisis for clients and staff. When Native people talk about utilizing every piece of the resource, they aren’t joking. All of these projects directly impact the efficacy of these organizations’ efforts from education and workforce development to housing and behavioral health services.
The Clyde Bellecourt Urban Indigenous Legacy Initiative fundamentally changed things, an organized precedent of what can be done when we come together.
San Antonio Natives Make History With Grand Opening
The oldest non-profit in San Antonio opened the doors to its first Native-owned cultural center in San Antonio.
San Antonio’s oldest Native American non-profit otherwise known as American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions (AIT-SCM) is making headlines as they open up the first Native-owned cultural center and art gallery in San Antonio. Located at 1616 East Commerce St., the historic unveiling took place on March 24th and will forever change the urban landscape of San Antonio for the better - with American Indian people as a driving force and comes after decades of work serving urban Native people in downtown San Anotion and beyond.
This non-profit is a longtime partner of the NUIFC and a beacon of hope in the San Antonio Indian community. Native people in Bexar County make up 1.4% of the population but about 30% live in poverty. This statistic is all too familiar across Indian country, but AIT-SCM is prepared to meet that problem head-on.
“We’ve learned that cities that have spaces for American Indians to gather and share their culture thrive better compared to cities that do not have these resources… the fact that we’re able to initiate this and establish it for the San Antonio community is historic," says Ramon J. Vasquez, Executive Director of AIT-SCM.
This organization was founded in the mid 90’s by the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation. It’s important to note that the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan Nation is a cultural heritage organization of individuals who identify as descendants of the Coahuiltecan people. An important distinction to be made as we focus on the agency when it comes to Native people’s needs being advocated by Native people. The organization “works for the preservation and protection of the culture and traditions of the Native American tribes and other indigenous people who resided in the Spanish colonial missions”.
This cultural center’s positive impact on the community is partially attributed to the other initiatives AIT-SCM sustains such as the San Antonio Fatherhood Campaign and the Youth Leadership Development initiative that focuses on education, mentorship, health/wellness, and advocacy groups. Healthy steps in a positive direction such as those can lead us to assume that this center will bring even more to the community.