Who We Are
The American Indian Community Center (AICC) was created in 1967 as a gathering place for all Native Americans in Spokane and the Pacific Northwest. We work to foster relationships with the community and bring local Native people together. We provide family services, career, employment help, crisis intervention, and more.
As a non-profit organization, our primary mission is to end racism and fight for the equality of all people, regardless of background.
Our Mission
End racism, PERIOD.
Our Vision
A world that accepts diversity by ending racism, and stopping hurtful stereotypes, biased thinking, and hate. A world that exercises kindness, acceptance, diversity.
Who We Are
For far too long, we as a nation have allowed and/or stood by silently while ignorant and hateful rhetoric has spread false narratives and demeaned indigenous people. Racism takes many different forms, whether it be intentional or not, and it is prevalent in many individuals’ lives. These hateful acts and acts of silence must stop. We must listen to our neighbors, regardless of ethnicity, culture, and all other factors that have marginalized humanity as a whole.
The myth of the vanishing Indian is alive and well in America, even here in Spokane with more than 330 tribes represented. The Pacific Northwest region has one of the largest urban American Indian and Alaska Native populations by percentage in the United States.
To address racism directed against American Indians and Alaskan Natives, we must become more visible to the general population.
We must also learn to share our unique history and traditions with the world to foster a better understanding and a deeper respect of our rich heritage, important history, and modern ways.
How we are ending racism
It’s time to dispel myths and misconceptions by providing resources and education on the tribal heritages in our communities, traditions and cultural pride of the American Indians and Alaskan Natives. We plan to increase visibility by sharing our culture through outreach, and an active digital presence, building a community committed to a brighter, safer, accepting future. We will be providing an environment of inclusivity and understanding for the diversity within our collective culture.
We are taught when we are young that if an elder speaks, STOP AND LISTEN.
This is much more than merely being polite. This is how we learn our culture, oral history, and our tribal traditions. This is how we teach life lessons to the younger generations. Our elders tell us stories, sometimes humorous, sometimes very serious, and those stories carry our traditional values. There are many misconceptions and biases about Native American life-ways and cultures that we will dispel.
Help us do this by sharing your story here.
