American Indian Family Center

📣 Welcome back to the Family, Richard!

We are excited to announce Elder Richard Wright's (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe) return to our family as an Elder in Residence. We are so grateful to have Elder back with us. Please join us in giving a warm welcome back to Richard!

MORE ABOUT RICHARD: Richard, also known as Ahndegmakadewizi (Black Crow) is an enrolled member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (Zhaagaswajimekaag), and a member of the Bear Clan, Pillager Band.

He is a Saint Paul Seminary graduate who has attended the University of Minnesota with a major in Directed Studies, with an emphasis on community corrections. He meets the qualifications for Licensure from the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy, with thirty-four years as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). He is also credentialed with Minnesota Blue Cross, Minnesota Health Care Plans, Medica, and Hennepin County Chemical Health Programs.

He is retired as the Chairman of the Minnesota American Indian Advisory Committee (MAIC) an advisory board that operates under the Department of Health and Human Services; This includes retirement from the Minnesota Association of Recovery Resources in Chemical Health as a Board of Governors (MARRCH). He currently serves as a Commissioner of the Minnesota State Urban Indian Affairs Commission.

Richard is also a joint member of a Minnesota Limited License Company (LLC) along with associate Rona Mlnarik. They operate a private consultant company that provides culturally specific trainings and spiritual guidance within Minnesota.

He has thirty-four years of working in Substance Use Disorders and has experience in residential care and Intensive Outpatient programs. He is not currently working in this field yet maintains his License as a therapist. He is the author of "The Way of Our People: Weekly Inspiration for American Indians in Recovery from Alcoholism" which can be purchased online at https://birchbarkbooks.com/products/the-way-of-our-people?_pos=1&_sid=70dcbab27&_ss=r.

If you're interested in connecting with Richard, he can reached at [email protected] or (651) 504-2298.

🥳 Please join us in wishing AIFC's Family Spirit Home Visiting Coordinator, Natosha, a delighted birthday! Mino-dibishkan giizhigad, Natosha! We hope you have a splendid day!

🥍 Baaga’adowedaa! (Let's Play Lacrosse!) Youth Camp

Please join us next Wednesday and Thursday! (7/17 & 7/18)

Sponsored by: Ain Dah Yung (Our Home) Center and AIFC!

We hope to see you all there!

📣 Hau/haŋ, aaniin, boozhoo! We hope you had a nice, long, and safe weekend. Welcome back!

This is AIFC's Week at a Glance for Monday, July 8, 2024, through Friday, July 12, 2024. Check out our full calendar of events and programs at www.aifcmn.org/events for more information and to register for each event and program where applicable.

Empowering Families, a new LERA group, will start this month! This affinity group will meet monthly for all caregivers. That means parents, guardians, grandparents, and trusted adults raising school age children are all welcome to join.

For childcare needs, we ask that you complete the Youth Empowerment application to have your kids join other LE kids in the YDC.

We'll see you on July 18th at 6pm - 8pm.

Bring a dish to share and we'll provide the beverages!


Folks can also learn the benefits of participating in the Caregivers Support Group, a 10-month program, that starts in September 2024 going through June 2025.

🧡

📣 Hau/haŋ, aaniin, boozhoo! This is AIFC's Week at a Glance for Monday, July 1, 2024, through Friday, July 5, 2024. We will be closed on Thursday, July 4, 2024, and Friday, July 5, 2024, and we will reopen for our regular business hours on Monday, July 8, 2024.

Check out our full calendar of events and programs at www.aifcmn.org/events for more information and to register for each event and program where applicable.

Happy Victory Day! Lilililili!

Today we celebrate the victory of the Lakota, Arikara, Northern Cheyenne, and Apache Nations over General George Custer and five companies of the Seventh Calvary widely known on Turtle Island as the Battle of Greasy Grass (The Battle of Little Bighorn).

"Victory Day for the Lakota is the acknowledgment of the Battle of Greasy Grass/Little Big Horn. From my teachings growing up, I learned that the Lakota/Dakota and the Cheyenne & Arapaho had just finished up the annual Sundance ceremony . . . Sitting Bull, whose band happened to be the sponsors of the Sundance, received his vision of the U.S. Cavalry soldiers falling into a camp upside down like grasshoppers. From this vision, it can be gathered that the people were ready for something to happen. And, of course, it did; General George Custer led five companies of the 7th Cavalry to their deaths." - Nate Bordeaux, AIFC's Father & Men's Outreach Specialist

To read the full teaching from Nate, visit https://aifcmn.org/news/lakota-victory-day/.

The American Indian Family Center (AIFC) invites you to a Traditional Cedar Healing Ceremony on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, from 4-8PM.

The location is the Cherokee Regional Park, 700 Cherokee Heights Blvd., Saint Paul, MN (We’ll be at the small shelter next to the swing set).

The spiritual leader will be Pebaamibines (First Nation Anishinaabe, Fort Frances, Ontario), respectively.

Food will be served and you can bring a dish to pass if you are able.

Ladies are recommended to wear skirts, if possible.
Please bring either a lawn chair or a blanket to sit on.

We hope to see you there!

🪻Phidamaya, miigwech, thank you to everyone who joined us for our Annual Spring Feast! The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and the community time was wonderful. We shared a delicious meal catered by Souper Sam and were joined by the Imnizaska Drum Group to celebrate in a good way. We also honored American Indian Magnet School's (AIMS) newest Principal Julie Hutchinson-Downwind her dedication and hard work for American Indian Education!

🎉✨ Please join us in wishing "Happy Birthday" to Amy 🎉✨

May your day be filled with love, laughter, and everything that makes you happiest. Here's to another year of adventures, dreams coming true, and countless beautiful memories. 🎂🎁

Let's shower Amy with all the love and birthday wishes today!

June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln presented the Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Texas finally received word: They were free.

Today we stand as allies with our African American and Black American relatives as we wish you all a happy Juneteenth!

Learn more about the importance of Juneteenth on the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP) website at https://naacp.org/campaigns/juneteenth.

Are you looking for family-friendly ways to celebrate Juneteenth? Click here to find "A Guide To Twin Cities Kid-Friendly Juneteenth Celebrations": https://www.familyfuntwincities.com/juneteenth-celebrations.

We hope you have a nice and safe holiday.

❗Important announcement ❗

📣 Hau/haŋ, aaniin, boozhoo! This is AIFC's Week at a Glance for Monday, June 17, 2024, through Thursday, June 20, 2024.

In observance of Juneteenth, we will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. We'll reopen for our regular business hours on Thursday, June 20, 2024.

Check out our full calendar of events and programs at www.aifcmn.org/events for more information and to register for each event and program where applicable.

Hello! Just a heads up, we had to relocate to 1624 Phalen Drive, Saint Paul, MN, which is closer to the frontage road than the Phalen Picnic Shelter (1610 Phalen Drive, Saint Paul, MN). We apologize for the confusion and hope to see you soon!

🪻Two days away!

Yesterday afternoon, some Young Youth learned how to put up a tipi at Belwin Conservancy with our Father & Men's Outreach Specialist, Nate (Tituwan Oglala-Sicangu Lakota). They did such a great job and the weather was perfect for it!

🌷Han/hau, boozhoo, aaniin! Please join us for our Annual Spring Feast next Friday, June 14, 2024, from 5-7PM at the Phalen Picnic Shelter (1610 Phalen Drive, Saint Paul, MN 55106). We will have an honoring, spring blessing, a shared meal, and giveaways! Everyone is welcome, and we hope to see you there!

🪡 On Thursdays we craft! Here are some crafts community have created in our Thursday Traditional Crafting Group. Thursday Traditional Crafting Group meets Thursdays, 10AM-2PM at AIFC (579 Wells Street, Saint Paul, MN 55130). Bring your in-progress crafts or see what supplies we have for you to start on a craft project! Everyone is welcome.

Check out some of these adorable t-shirts the Moms made in Waknyeja Kin Wakan Pi (Our Children Are Sacred) Women & Mother's Support Group a couple of weeks ago.

If you're a pregnant woman or a mother of a 13-month-old who would like support in your early motherhood journey, join our Family Services' Waknyeja Kin Wakan Pi (Our Children Are Sacred) Women & Mother's Support Group! This group meets on Wednesdays from noon to 1:30PM with a provided lunch.

Some other topics this group can help support are Parent Education on Infant Safety and Health, Nutrition and Prenatal Education, Connection to Resources, and Case Management.

If you would like to join this group, please contact AIFC's Mother & Women's Outreach Specialist, Chenoa Stout, at (651) 504-2298 or [email protected].

📣 Hau/haŋ, aaniin, boozhoo! This is AIFC's Week at a Glance for Monday, June 3, 2024, through Saturday, June 8, 2024. Check out our full calendar of events and programs at www.aifcmn.org/events for more information and to register for each event and program where applicable.

🪡 Every other Friday, some AIFC staff go over to the Elders Lodge in Saint Paul to hang out, eat lunch, and do some activities! Here are some photos from tote bag making and towel set crafting. One of the Elders even busted out his acoustic guitar and played some songs for everyone! Hanging out with the Elders is such good medicine.

Join us next Thursday, June 6, 2024 from 5:30-7PM!

🏠 We're hiring for a Housing Services Manager! The Thinica Owichakiyapi Thipi (Helping the Homeless Build) program is AIFC’s culturally specific, holistic, and family-centered intervention and prevention services for families experiencing homelessness or threat of eviction. The Housing Services Manager oversees these program services and ensures the fulfillment of all goals and outcomes of the Thinica Owichakiyapi Thipi Housing Program.

If you, or someone you may know, are interested in applying for this position, please send resumes to [email protected], or apply online at https://aifcmn.org/about/careers/employment-application/.

Check out our other open positions at https://aifcmn.org/about/careers/.

Han/hau, boozhoo, aaniin, we hope you all had a relaxing and safe holiday weekend. We just wanted to remind you all of our Extended Foster Care Info Meeting tomorrow evening, Wednesday, May 29, 2024, from 5-7PM at AIFC (579 Wells Street, Saint Paul, MN 55130). Snacks will be provided.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Youth Empowerment Specialist, Gina Carlson, at [email protected] or (651) 505-6827.

This Memorial Day, we remember, and honor the brave ogichidaa and ogichidaakwe (warrior men and women) who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Their courage and dedication to Indian country will never be forgotten.

Let us take a moment to reflect on their service and express our deepest gratitude. May their legacy inspire us to strive for a better, more peaceful world.

📣 Hau/haŋ, aaniin, boozhoo! This is AIFC's Week at a Glance for Monday, May 28, 2024, through Friday, May 31, 2024. Reminder, we'll be closed tomorrow, Monday, May 27, 2024, in observance of Memorial Day.

Check out our full calendar of events and programs at www.aifcmn.org/events for more information and to register for each event and program where applicable.