Native Communities

Welcome

Wowiyuṡkiƞ- Dakota

Údoⁿ thatʰí te- Ponca & Umoⁿhoⁿ

Hanįcara haipį- Ho Chunk (translated “I am happy to see you”)

Nebraska resides on the past, present, and future homelands of the Pawnee, Ponca, Oto-Missouria, Umoⁿhoⁿ, Dakota, Lakota, Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Kaw Peoples, as well as the relocated Ho Chunk (Winnebago), Iowa, and Sac and Fox Peoples. This land acknowledgement will allow the opportunity to understand the impact of the colonization in Nebraska on the Tribes who occupied the area. Please take a moment to consider the legacies of more than 150 years of displacement, violence, settlement, and survival that bring us together here today. We respect and seek out inclusion of differences, realizing we can learn from each other, and we look forward to building long-lasting relationships with the Indigenous People of Nebraska.

We work alongside community members in four tribes: Winnebago Tribe, Umonhon Tribe, Ponca Tribe, and Santee Tribe as well as the Nebraska Indian Community College  and Little Priest Tribal College to nurture food systems. We offer activities to foster cultural traditions, improve diets, better health, and support families growing fruits and vegetables.

Fresh, healthy food in your hands

Community workshops: Throughout the year, we offer training and assistance on growing, harvesting, preserving and cooking fresh food from your garden and foods native to the area to all community members young to elders. We hold trainings on marketing and selling produce from your garden. Demonstration meals represent how to cook and prepare foods from our garden to share with family, friends and market customers.

Home garden visits: Our garden team visits gardens throughout the summer to answer any questions and help with garden advice. We work to empower our communities by teaching sustainable and traditional gardening techniques. 

Indigenous markets: At no cost to our participants or vendors, we support farmers markets, pop ups, and other special events for gardeners to sell extra produce to make a small income. We also welcome bead workers, arts and crafts persons, bakers, and other community members, as well as gardeners, farmers, and artists from the surrounding area to sell homemade and handmade items. 

Makerspace: What is a Makerspace? A makerspace is a collaborative work space inside Nebraska Indian Community College on the Macy and Santee campuses for making, learning, exploring, and sharing that uses high tech to no tech tools weaving in a variety of traditional cultural elements. These spaces are open to youth, adults, and entrepreneurs and have a variety of maker equipment. The space is held on NICC campus and available during specified hours maintained by Center staff. 

• Glowforge
• Cricut Maker 3
• T-shirt Press
• Sublimation printer
• Quilting Machine
• Sewing Machines
• Embroidery machine
• XL Harvest Right Freeze dryer
• Sticker & Button maker

Nebraska Intertribal Food Council: The Nebraska Intertribal Food Council is dedicated to uniting the Winnebago Tribe, Umonhon Tribe, Ponca Tribe, and Santee Tribe in a collaborative effort to promote and strengthen food sovereignty among our Indigenous communities. We are committed to preserving and revitalizing our traditional food systems while prioritizing education, sustainability, and cultural preservation. By harnessing the wisdom of our elders and the power of collective action, we aspire to create a thriving and resilient Indigenous food system for current and future generations.

Native American Business Assistance: We link Native-owned small businesses with training, technical assistance, up-to-date small business information, coaching and resources specifically for Native American business owners.

• One-to-one coaching, personalized to meet your business needs wherever you are in your journey
• Access to business training classes 
• Support developing your business plan 
• Support for establishing and growing your business 
• Access to financial literacy classes 
• Referrals to the Center's services and programs

What program and/or business advisor is the right fit for you? We can help. Our team works with clients from the Umonhon, Isanti, Winnebago, and Ponca Tribes interested in furthering their business ventures. Click here to fill out our inquiry form and a team member will respond within 7 business days.