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The Native American Support Program (NASP) cultivates an environment supportive of positive experiences for Native American and Indigenous students at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Learn about NASP initiatives and programming, and get updates on upcoming events and resources both on the UIC campus and within the greater community.
4. Indigenous Events

blog posts

  • Fifth Annual Conference Flyer

    2021 Fifth Annual Urban Native Education Conference, Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative

    May 3, 2021 2:00 am

    Living Our Values Towards Health & Healing

    The Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative (CAICC) is pleased to announce the 2021 Fifth Annual Urban Native Education Conference!

    Our conference theme this year is Living Our Values Towards Health & Healing. The theme acknowledges the ways in which our values shape and support our individual, family and communities’ health, wellbeing and healing, specifically during a pandemic. Our communities have a deep history of organizing to support each other in times of crisis. This past year presented numerous opportunities for us to work together. More than ever before, we were called upon to re-imagine and create new possibilities for connecting and supporting one another.

    At the core of many Native American and Indigenous communities are the values known as the 4 R’s – relationships, reciprocity, responsibility, and respect. In what ways do these values influence how we build, support, care, teach, learn and lead? How has this pandemic helped to ground us in what’s important?

    We have invited Native American and Indigenous community leaders, knowledge keepers and scholars, students, educators, youth, administrators, helpers and staff of educational programs, organizations and institutions, from Chicago-land (Checagou) and beyond, to present at this year's 5th Annual Urban Native Education Conference.

  • We Are All on Native Land: A Conversation about Land Acknowledgments

    Oct 6, 2020 9:15 pm

    Indigenous Peoples’ Day honors the Native American community: their vibrant culture and deep ties to land. Commemorate the day with us online. Join Debra Yepa-Pappan (Jemez Pueblo/Korean), the Field Museum’s Community Engagement Coordinator for the Native North America Hall, in conversation with:

    Heather Miller (Wyandotte), Executive Director of the American Indian Center of Chicago 

    Felicia Garcia (Samala Chumash), Curator of Education, Indian Arts Research Center, School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe

    Meranda Roberts (Yerington Paiute/Chicana), post-doctoral researcher at the Field Museum

    Together they’ll discuss the custom of land acknowledgments; their importance, complexities, and evolution; and what actions can follow a land acknowledgment.  

    This event is free to all who register in advance.

    CLICK HERE TO RSVP

  • Help Support Chicago's Indigenous Peoples' Day Ordinance

    Feb 11, 2020 4:15 pm

    Show your support by sharing, downloading and posting graphics on social media, writing a letter of support (a template is available in the link below), and go read more about Chicago’s city-wide ordinance to make the second Monday of October Indigenous Peoples Day and abolish Columbus Day!READ MORE HERE: https://aicchicago.org/indigenous-peoples-day/

     

  • WHOSE LAKEFRONT

    Oct 1, 2021 4:15 pm

    In 1914, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians sued Chicago for land along the lakefront. As co-signers of the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, they had been forced to give up their land in Illinois up to the shore of Lake Michigan. Since then, the city had created land beyond the shore, including Streeterville, Lincoln Park, and Grant Park, some of the most valuable property in the city. The Pokagon Band argued for the return of this unceded land or payment for its value. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, where, predictably, the Potawatomi lost.

    A procession led by Native people with non-Native allies will mark the boundary of this unceded territory with a line of red sand along Michigan Avenue downtown, tracing the original shoreline of Lake Michigan. 

    Saturday, October 2, 2021

    Kickoff at 12:00PM noonCorner of Michigan Avenue and Roosevelt RoadRoute goes north to 401 N. Michigan Livestream on https://www.facebook.com/whoselakefront 

  • American Indian College Fund Resources

    Sep 2, 2020 11:30 pm
    • Nike N7 2021 Internship
    • FREE Tribal Solar Training
    • Native Pre-Admission Workshop
    • LA Skins Fest Film Contest
    • Ford Foundation Fellowships
    • Public Health Informatics Fellow
    • Google Grow Certificates
    • FBI Cyber Internship
    • Next Gen Radio Training

    American Indian College Fund | 800-776-3863 | scholarships@collegefund.org | collegefund.org/student-resoures

     

  • 4th Annual Urban Native Education Conference @ UIC

    Feb 11, 2020 4:15 pm

    The Chicago American Indian Community Collaborative’s Education Committee invites you to attend the 4th annual Urban Native Education Conference. The theme of the 4th annual Urban Native Education Conference is Indigenous Futures 2020. The organizers of this conference are situated in Native Chicago, by which they mean that their focus, research, teaching, and service is working for and with American Indian people and communities in the Chicago area. With more than 70% of the Indigenous population of the U.S. living primarily in urban settings, it is clear that urban Indian education is a significant issue.

    We invite proposals for sessions that address the conference theme. The audience for this conference includes Indigenous educators, scholars, youth, elders, and community members. Please submit proposals by Friday, February 28, 2020. Accept/decline notifications will be sent to the email used in the proposal process by Friday, March 20, 2020.

    Submit a Proposal

    Schedule:

    Friday, May 1, 2020, 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM: Indigenous Networking Social

    Saturday, May 2, 2020, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM: Main Conference

    *schedule subject to slight changes while confirming sessions

    Registration is now open. The cost to register is free. Space is limited so please register in advance to secure your spot!

    Register to Attend the Conference!

     

  • Powwow Flyer

    Powwow 2021

    Sep 15, 2021 11:30 pm

    Saturday, September 25th, Ho-Chunk Nation, St. Kateri Center, American Indian Health Services of Chicago and Cook County Forest Preserve are sponsoring a Pop Up Pow Wow! In honor of victims, survivors and their families we will speak to the tragedy surrounding Boarding Schools and Children of Turtle Island. The event will have Drums and Dancers, Arts and Crafts Vendors, Food and more. Please save the date and join us!

  • Artist Directory for Native Americans Flyer

    The Chicagoland Native Artist Directory

    May 3, 2021 2:00 am

    A free marketing opportunity for Native American artists that offer services in the Chicagoland area. 

    Are you a Native American Artists or Performer? Apply Today!

  • You Are on Potawatomi Land Installation Event

    Jul 27, 2021 8:15 pm

    Commissioner Mark Kelly of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) invites you to attend a dedication celebration for the newest installation on the Chicago Riverwalk:

    You Are on Potawatomi Land

    by artist Andrea Carlson [Ojibwe]

    Thursday, August 5th

    3:30 pm

    Pioneer Court steps (401 N. Michigan, next to the Apple Store)

    RSVP by Tuesday, August 2nd to publicart@cityofchicago.org  

  • Whose Lakefront (2020) Participatory Public Art Project

    Feb 17, 2020 8:00 am

    Please see attached flyer for info:

  • Job Announcement Executive Assistant American Indian Health Service of Chicago

    Mar 5, 2020 1:45 pm

    American Indian Health Service of Chicago has a position open.  If you are interested open the attachments.

  • College Readiness Program

    College Readiness Program

    Mar 30, 2021 4:30 am

    Please see attached flyer for details.

  • 7th Annual National Gathering of American Indian Veterans: We Welcome All Veterans

    May 29, 2021 4:15 pm

    Please join us for the 7th Annual National Gathering of American Indian Veterans: We Welcome All Veterans, honoring veterans & military personnel of all cultures, eras, and branches in a Native American way. This is a full 3-day event starting from July 16th till July 18th. It will be held at Cantigny Park in Wheaton, IL.

    Friday: Evening Veterans ConferenceSaturday: Veterans Conference and Powwow

    Sunday: Powwow, Wellbriety, and AA MeetingGeneral Public Welcome All Weekend

    Registration is required and is available here https://bit.ly/3fAj3xD

    Hotel rooms are available if needed at The DoubleTree by Hilton in Lisle Naperville. Special rates are available for groups staying for the National Gathering! You can book a hotel room here https://group.doubletree.com/CAI

    Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available!

  • St. Kateri Center of Chicago

    Feb 25, 2020 2:00 pm

    Date: 5/16/2020

    Time: Doors open at 10:30 AM and Grand Entry at 12PM and 5 PM

    Location: St. Benedict Gymnasium 

  • The Coalition of Identities under Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI)

    Oct 5, 2021 12:15 am

    The Coalition of Identities Under AAPI

    A panel discussion exploring the AAPI Identity featuring panelists:Karen Su, Mark Martell, Chasidy Clark, and Momal Khan

    Presented by the UIC Law School's Office of Diversity, Equity, and InclusionCo-sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA) at UIC, the South Asian Law Students Association, and the Asian American Resource and Cultural Center

    Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021 from 12-1pm

    Zoom link

  • Chicago American Indian Center

    May 5, 2020 7:00 pm

    You can find the full list of American Indian Center (AIC) events on the Calendar page.

  • Indigenous STEAM Summer Camp

    Mar 3, 2020 11:15 am

    For Native American and Indigenous Youth entering grades 1-12

    LABACH WOODS, CHICAGO

    FREE!  Snacks and lunch provided - Extended dropoff/pickup:  8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

  • Zona Abierta: Apsáalooke Women and Warriors

    Feb 20, 2020 2:30 pm

    Zona Abierta: Apsáalooke Women and Warriors

     

    Presented by the UIC Latino Cultural Center, the Native American Support Program, and the Women's Leadership and Resource Center

    As part of UIC's Women's History Month Celebration, join us for a conversation with four women from the great Apsáalooke Crow Nation – as they share their Native perspectives – and talk about Apsáalooke ways, people, and their work. Apsáalooke Women and Warriors exhibition is jointly organized by the Field Museum and the Neubauer Collegium for Culture and Society at the University of Chicago, opening at both sites in March 2020.

    • When: Thurs. March 12, 2020
    • Time: 1pm to 2:30pm
    • Where: LCC – Lecture Center B2

  • Fundraising Conference Featuring Pamala Silas

    Sep 10, 2020 4:15 pm

    Please join us for Stories + Money = Change, a Fundraising Conference featuring Pamala Silas.There's something for everyone (more info below and attached). Please let me know what questions you have and thanks in advance. 

     

    STORIES + MONEY = CHANGE

    We are bringing together trainers from a variety of areas in the fundraising field in order to sharpen our fundraising skills and to create a space for us to build a stronger movement. Join us and register today!! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stories-money-change-tickets-89114368475

    Who: Fundraising professionals of all levels

    What: A skills-based conference that will serve as a space for everyone to network and build relationships. The skills workshops will cover topics such as individual donor visits, technology in fundraising, event fundraising, peace and productivity (work/life balance), and more!

    When: September 24th and 25th, 2020

    Where: Online

    Cost: $300 per person for the 2 day conference. 

    Featuring:

    Tajauna Biloche - Record setting fundraiser and current community organizer.

    Ashley Bloom - VP of Membership Drive.

    Gisella Faggi - Writer and non-profit consultant.

    Margie Fine- Extremely experienced fundraising consultant.

    Andrea Frye - Experienced Operations Director.

    Dan Gaudette - Regional Gift Officer and Principal at Innovative Fundraising, LLC.

    Gordon Mayer - Fundraising and Communications Expert. .

    Dondy Marie Moreland - Social justice activist, grassroots, fundraiser, and consultant.

    Jeff Pinzino - Chief Operations Officer and Development professional.

    Pamala Silas -Experienced executive leader focused on the Native American community.

    Tammi Thompson - President of TM Thompson Consulting, Inc.

    Mary Grace Wolf - Director of Individual Giving and Principal at Innovative Fundraising, LLC.

    Workshops include:

    Fundraising 101

    Storytelling

    What to do in October to Raise More Money in December

    Launching an individual donor visit strategy

    Peace and Productivity

    Communications and Fundraising

    Small to midsize events

    Tech in fundraising

    Grant writing

    Sponsorship

    Consulting sessions with experts

    Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stories-money-change-tickets-89114368475

  • Flyer for Event

    68th Annual Chicago Powwow

    Aug 31, 2021 5:15 pm

    Please see the flyer for details.

  • Indigenous Peoples Day - 2021 Celebration! Potawatomi Removals: Forced and "Voluntary"

    Sep 2, 2021 4:30 pm

    Please see the flyer for details. 

  • Indigenous Peoples Day

    Oct 1, 2021 3:30 pm

    Please see the included flyer for additional details. 

  • Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Black-Indigenous Youth Advancing Social Justice

    Oct 11, 2021 1:00 pm

    How are Black-Indigenous youth working to advance social justice? This Indigenous Peoples' Day program highlights youth of blended Black and Native heritage who use art, activism, and policy to advance Black and Indigenous solidarity and affect positive change in their communities. Moderated by Amber Starks (African American and Muscogee [Creek]) she/her. Panelists include Joy SpearChief-Morris (African American and Kainai Blood Tribe), Kyle T. Mays (Black and Saginaw Chippewa) he/him/his, and Autumn Rose Williams (Black and Shinnecock). Learn more about the panelists here. 

    The program is free, but advance registration is required. A direct link to view the program will be emailed to registrants 24-48 hours before the program. The program will be available on demand after it premieres.

    This program is part of the Youth in Action: Conversations about Our Future series, which features young Native activists and changemakers from across the Western Hemisphere who are working towards equity and social justice for Indigenous peoples. 

     

     

    When: Monday, October 11, 2021, 1 – 2 p.m. EDT

    Location: Online

    Cost: Free | Registration required

    Accessibility: Captioning

  • 67th Chicago Annual Virtual Powwow

    Oct 30, 2020 1:45 pm

    Please see flyer for details.

  • Community Eagle Staff Feast

    Dec 9, 2020 11:15 am

    Please see the flyer for details. 

  • Indigenous Pathways Summer Program Flyer

    Indigenous Pathways Summer Program

    May 29, 2021 5:30 pm

    Please see the attached flyer for details. 

  • Storytelling, Climate Justice, and Self-Determined Indigenous Futures

    Oct 1, 2021 2:15 pm

    Thursday, October 7, 2021

    6:00 PM to 7:00 PM

    This program is free an open to all, and will be held virtually on Zoom.

    In this year’s D’Arcy McNickle Distinguished Lecture, Deborah McGregor addresses Indigenous climate change futures envisioned and generated by Elders, community knowledge holders, and the Indigenous Studies academic community.

    McGregor will be joined by Teresa Montoya to explore how we can learn from the past through storywork that may inform our collective and sustainable future.This series celebrates Indigenous scholars, writers, and artists who consistently demonstrate excellence in their work concerning Indigenous peoples and histories in addition to actively addressing contemporary issues faced by American Indian and Indigenous communities.

    NOTE: You can also watch a live stream of the program, without registering in advance, on the Newberry Facebook page or YouTube channel.

  • Indigenous Women Healing Circle

    Oct 7, 2020 12:30 pm

    Please see attached flyer for details. 

  • Settler Love is Breaking My Heart

    Feb 6, 2020 2:45 pm

    Date: 02/10/2020

    Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

    Location: Foster/107

    RSVP Required: See Attached Flyer

  • Smoke Signals American Indian Center

    Feb 20, 2020 12:00 pm

    SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

    The AIC Smoke Signals Newsletter 

    To receive the Smoke Signals Newsletter, please register to become an AIC Member today!

    Register here: http://aic-chicago.org/?page_id=1306

  • Sovereignty and Indigeneity in the Big Ten

    Oct 1, 2020 9:45 pm

    Monday, October 12, 20203:00 to 4:30 pm Central Time / 4:00 to 5:30 pm Eastern Time

    Sponsored by the Big Ten Native Alliance

    Please register by Friday, October 9 to receive the Zoom link.

    Join us this Indigenous Peoples’ Day for a collaborative panel discussion led by Native researchers and practitioners in the Big Ten. The panel will focus on Native experiences in academia, Indigenous-led research and pedagogy, and how these are reflected in the national political and social climates.

    CLICK HERE TO RSVP

  • Indigenous Interventions: Reshaping Archives & Museums

    Oct 30, 2020 1:45 pm

    Please see attached flyer for details. 

  • Whose Lakefront

    Whose Lakefront Community Session (Open to All)

    Sep 15, 2021 11:00 pm

    The Whose Lakefront public art project foregrounds the occupation of Native land by marking the presence of unceded territory in the heart of Chicago’s downtown.

    ​In 1914, the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians sued Chicago for land along the lakefront. As co-signers of the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, they had been forced to give up their land in Illinois up to the shore of Lake Michigan. Since then, the city had created land beyond the shore, including Streeterville, Lincoln Park, and Grant Park, some of the most valuable property in the city. The Pokagon Band argued for the return of this unceded land or payment for its value. The case went to the U.S. Supreme Court, where, predictably, the Potawatomi lost.

    On October 2, a procession led by Native people with non-Native allies will mark the boundary of this unceded territory with a line of red sand along Michigan Avenue downtown, tracing the original shoreline of Lake Michigan.

    This workshop will discuss the historical background for the project, as well as contemporary views on Native land and Native sovereignty.

    Opportunities for participation and volunteering on October 2 will be discussed.

    More information at: https://www.whoselakefront.com/.

    Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/whose-lakefront-information-workshop-tickets-169672674537?fbclid=IwAR0768I0LyOgNYiajsK9S6F2jTLf48_b33H3pm9RrbIsinn5jvlX6P2mSYo

     

  • HUD - 3rd Annual Chicagoland Native American Housing Fair - Saturday & Sunday - Oct. 17-18, 2020 -10:00-4:30

    Oct 1, 2020 9:00 pm

    Please see the attached flyer and agenda for the 3rd Annual Native American Housing Fair in Chicago.

    This is the link to Register:

    https://www.eventbrite.com/e/3rd-annual-native-american-housing-fair-virtual-event-registration-115367868400

  • Powwow Volunteers Needed, American Indian Center Chicago

    Oct 1, 2021 3:30 pm

    Please see the included flyer for additional details. 

  • Indian Taco Friday

    Indian Taco Friday, Young Native Leaders

    Mar 30, 2021 4:15 am

    Please see the attached flyer for event details.

  • Indigenous Artist in Residence, Wayne Valliere, Northwestern Center for Native American and Indigenous Research

    Oct 1, 2021 3:45 pm

    Please see the included flyer for additional details. 

  • There's still time to join the Native Movement Holiday Gift Guide

    Dec 9, 2020 10:00 am

    Calling all Independent Crafters, Makers and Artists!

    The gift-giving holidays are around the corner! We want to uplift local artists during these challenging times and encourage people to support local, small businesses. Entries will be compiled into a Gift Guide and shared through our social media channels and networks. To participate, please fill out this form and include a photo of your work! If you have any questions or concerns please email Art & ACction Coordinator, Jessi Thornton: jessi@nativemovement.org

    CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

  • Conversation with Tommy Orange

    Conversation with Tommy Orange and Book Club

    Feb 3, 2021 6:45 pm

    All are welcome at the Conversation with Tommy Orange (held on Zoom on 2/18 from 7-8 PM) and CNAIR-hosted book club on 2/12, at noon, also on Zoom.  Please sign up for each event by using the link on the attached flyer.  CNAIR is making copies of There There available to anyone who would like to attend the Feb. 12 book club—please sign up on the book club form (note that the February 8 book club is for students, so folks who are not students should sign up for the Feb 12 book club).

  • Reclaiming Indigenous Material Culture Flyer

    Reclaiming Indigenous Material Culture

    May 29, 2021 5:45 pm

    Please see the attached flyer for details. 

  • Urban Young Native Women

    Oct 1, 2021 3:30 pm

    Please see the included flyer for additional details. 

  • Indian Taco Friday Flyer

    Indian Taco Friday, Young Native Leaders

    May 29, 2021 4:30 pm

    Please see the attached flyer for details. 

  • CNAIR February Events

    Jan 31, 2020 10:30 am

    The Center for Native American and Indigenous Research is Northwestern University’s primary institutional space dedicated to advancing scholarship, teaching, learning, and artistic or cultural practices related to Native American and Indigenous communities, priorities, histories, and lifeways.

  • Etsy Craft Entre.

    Etsy Craft Entrepreneurship

    Feb 3, 2021 6:45 pm

    Please see the flyer for details. 

  • Young Native Leaders Virtual Workshop with Brian Frejo

    May 5, 2020 12:30 pm

    Young Native LeadersVirtual Workshop with Brian FrejoSaturday, May 2nd, 2020 @ 2:00pmSaturday, May 9th, 2020 @ 2:00pm

    We are excited to continue with the Zoom workshops on Cultural Identity in an Urban Environment.

    MUST RSVP to receive the link for the meeting room. Supplies needed for the workshops:• Journal• Sketchbook• Pen/Pencil• Markers• Colored PencilsIf you need any supplies, please let us know and we will coordinate a curbside drop-off of supplies on Fridays. If you need assistance with signing in for the Zoom meeting, let us know and we will help you.

    Contact: Josee Starr: jstarr@stbenedict.comDavid Morales: dmorales94@cps.edu

     

  • Visit Jeffrey Gibson: Sweet Bitter Love at the Newberry Library

    Jul 27, 2021 8:45 pm

    In Sweet Bitter Love, new works by the artist Jeffrey Gibson (a member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and of Cherokee descent) re-frame and re-interpret stereotypical images of Native Americans. As he engages with the past and upends the myths of settler colonialism, Gibson attests to Native resilience in the present. The exhibition is now on view at the Newberry Library through September 18, and is free and open to all.  Learn More: https://www.newberry.org/sweet-bitter-love-exhibition.You can also hear Gibson discuss the exhibition and Indigenous material culture more broadly in A Conversation with Jeffrey Gibson and Sven Haakanson.

  • Sky Hopinka: Cloudless Blue Egress of Summer

    Sep 22, 2021 12:00 pm

    Cloudless Blue Egress of Summer, a two-channel video installation by the artist Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk/Pechanga, born 1984, Ferndale, WA), offers an immersive and elusive reckoning with histories of colonial violence and Indigenous resistance. The thirteen-minute work examines the history of the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest fort in the continental United States. Finished in 1695, the structure was known as Fort Marion when it held Native Americans captive throughout the Seminole Wars of the 19th century. In the 1870s, Cheyenne, Kiowa, Comanche, Arapaho, and Caddo Indian prisoners were transported to the fort, where prison supervisor Richard Henry Pratt developed educational techniques designed to “Americanize” his captives. The U.S. boarding school system that grew out of these experiments imposed a regime of compulsory assimilation on generations of Indigenous children, a practice of cultural genocide that intentionally divided families and deprived communities of their linguistic and cultural heritage.

    When: Wednesday, September 22nd - Sunday, December 5 at 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM Central (some events end at 8:00 PM Central)

    Where: Block Museum of Art, Mary and Leigh, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208 map it

    Audience: Open to all

    Cost: Free 

  • Sue Science Saturday

    Oct 1, 2020 10:15 pm

    Celebrating Native Communities

    November 14th, 10:00-12:00pm (Central)THIS IS A VIRTUAL EVENT

    Join Field Museum staff and Sue the T-Rex to learn about and celebrate Native American communities! There will be storytelling, at home activities, and presentations from some of the Field Museum's Native staff members. This program is geared towards kids ages 6-10, but will be fun for the whole family. We hope to see you all there!To request free tickets available through our program, please click the button below or send us an email to cwmoore@cps.edu

  • St. Kateri Center Prayer Circle

    Oct 7, 2020 12:30 pm

  • American Indian Center Chicago Inter-Tribal Youth Summer Program

    Feb 25, 2020 2:00 pm

    PLease see attached flyer