For over seventy-five years, the Phoenix Indian Center has enriched the lives of American Indian people through the long-standing services we provide and through our several relationships. We are the first urban Indian Center in the Nation of its kind. As one of the early American Indian non-profits, we are a leader in doing this work and continue to be the connection to American Indian communities across the Nation, serving as a home-away from home for our urban American Indian community. We do this by continuing and growing our founding services by offering exemplary employment, educational, cultural enrichment and community engagement services. We are committed to partnering with organizations to maximize the opportunities for the people we serve.
Overview
The Phoenix Indian Center, Inc. was established in 1947 to serve the needs of the American Indians who came to downtown Phoenix to sell their arts and crafts or shop for their families. Our people needed a place to receive messages, freshen up and assistance in finding a job or socializing with other Indians in this urban environment. We recognize that as urban people we all have a strong connection to our homeland, our tribe and are living an urban experience.
After several years of using local community volunteers to help maintain the original location of the Center, on Wall Street (in downtown where Cityscape currently exists), the Center received funding and created a more formal structure. Two long term funders of the agency are the Valley of the Sun United Way and the US Department of Labor.
In 1954, the Center incorporated with the State of Arizona as a private non-profit “501(c) (3)” status. Today, the Center is the primary resource of employment, education, cultural enrichment and community engagement for urban American Indians residing in Maricopa County. It is our goal to keep families intact and help them maneuver through the difficult situations they encounter within their extended family unit. Please take some time to visit the services tab to learn more about what we do.
