North American Indian Center

05/26/2026

Another wish list donation arrived today — thank you for helping keep our food pantry stocked!! Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Thank you for helping us help others 😊

05/26/2026

We are not associated with any of these events but wanted to make a way for people in our area to know quickly when and where pow wows will be at. We hope this is helpful.

05/25/2026

We don’t know them all…..but we owe them all ❤️

05/24/2026

Interesting …fun facts 😊

Say these words out loud.

Moose. Raccoon. Chipmunk. Skunk. Pecan. Squash. Hickory. Toboggan. Bayou. Chicago. Milwaukee. Oklahoma. Mississippi. Michigan.

Every single word on that list comes directly from a Native American language.

Not loosely inspired by one. Not adapted from one. Lifted directly, sometimes almost unchanged, from nations that named these things centuries before English was ever spoken on this continent.

The raccoon was named by the Powhatan people of Virginia. Their word, aroughcun, means roughly "the one that scratches with its hands." Someone watched a raccoon dig around in the dirt and named it exactly what it was doing. That word has been in your mouth your whole life.

The skunk was named by the Massachusett tribe. Pecan comes from the Illinois word pakani. Hickory comes from a Powhatan word for a milky drink made from hickory nuts — English speakers liked the name so much they gave it to the tree.

Chicago comes from a Miami-Illinois word for a wild plant that grew along the river there. Milwaukee means "good land" in Algonquian. Mississippi means "great river" in Ojibwe. Oklahoma means "red people" in Choctaw.

More than half of the 50 United States have names that come from Native American languages.

You have been speaking Native languages your entire life.

You just were not told that is what you were doing.

Which one on this list surprised you most? Drop it in the comments.

05/22/2026

Code Talkers Day…Oneida Nation

Oneida Code Talkers Day: Honoring Our Warriors

Today we honor Oneida Code Talkers Day and the Oneida warriors who used our language to protect lives during World War II.

We remember Rupert S. Adams, Hudson Doxtator, Rimton Doxtator, and Lloyd Schuyler, who served as Code Talkers—using the Oneida language to carry messages the enemy could not decode.

Their service reflects the strength of our people, our language, and our Nation. In 2013, they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their extraordinary contributions.

There may be more Code Talkers whose stories remain unknown. As shared, “They were told to keep this a secret, to never speak about it, so some of those soldiers took that secret to the grave with them.”

Learn more about our Oneida Nation Code Talkers: https://oneida-nsn.gov/blog/2019/05/23/oneida-nation-code-talkers-day/

05/22/2026

Just a reminder that North American Indian Cultural Center will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2026, in observance of Memorial Day — or as my Granny always called it, “Decoration Day.” 🇺🇸

We will reopen on Tuesday, May 26.

Enjoy your day, take time to remember those who came before us, and please stay safe! 💙

Send a message to learn more

05/22/2026

North American Indian Cultural Center is incredibly proud of our program participants who have successfully completed their training! Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance have truly paid off, and we celebrate each and every one of you.

Thank you for believing in yourselves and staying committed to your goals. We can’t wait to see all the great things ahead for you. Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment — NAICC is so very proud of each of you!

Send a message to learn more