The Urban Native Center is a safe and welcoming community center for programs, gatherings, events, and cultural ceremonies. These services and resources impact the lives of more than 2,500 people each year. “The goal and mission of the Urban Native Center is to provide individual and community services that include cultural, spiritual, educational, and behavioral support to Indigenous community members in Siouxland,” said Urban Native Center Executive Director Valerie Uken. Although the Urban Native Center was initially more of a gathering location, its importance and use have grown substantially over the years.
The Urban Native Center moved from its original location at 1501 Geneva Street to an office in the Francis Building downtown, at 505 5th Street. “We were able to find a place downtown at the Francis Building right next to the bus depot. The new location eliminates folks having to go from one end of town to another, trying to improve transportation for everyone. It’s a great opportunity for all of us to work together under one roof. Agencies at the 505 co-location include Consulting By Design, Siouxland Human Investment Partnership (SHIP), Sky Ranch Behavioral Services, Urban Indian Connection, and Urban Native Center. It creates a great atmosphere and working relationship. Our community needs to have a place, especially for the native community, where we can come together to support each other, grow, and learn. We’re not just collaborating; we are creating partnerships, and more importantly, creating relationships,” stated Valerie.
“When other issues happen in our community, we can contact one another as organizations and friends. And that’s what makes such a difference in our community; we support one another. Sioux City has always been great for that. I think it’s going to continue to grow,” stated Valerie.
Specifically, the Urban Native Center now has four major programs. The first program is I.C.A.P.P. – The Iowa Child Abuse Prevention Program. It is an Iowa Grant, a five-year grant program. It educates our youth, gains information about the community, finds out what the community was missing, and how it felt about the issues. “This information was obtained from surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one discussions about what was missing in our Native community. Strategic planning was important to this. When the program started in 2019, the graduation rate was at 20%. In engaging with the school district and youth groups, the graduation rate in 2023 was up to 81%. That’s been a huge change! Back then, when I was looking at a graduation rate of 20%, the poverty level was at 56%. But when we start making these changes, everything will feed and strengthen each other,” exclaimed Valerie.
The Youth Group started in 2022 and has seen marked success. “Kenny Provost is the Cultural Youth Coordinator. He’s done a great job. This year, our youth are concentrating more on language and entering a language bowl for Native languages. I can only smile and be proud. Four years ago, I didn’t know any native words, but now I’m learning some words. Language is so important in culture. It’s how we connect and communicate,” said Valerie.
Another program the Urban Native Center is working on is SUNS: Strengthening Urban Natives. “SUNS focuses on serving youth that have been exposed to violence in the home, at school, or in the community. It supports the youth in working on communication, relationships, and the families involved in these programs with a specific wraparound of supportive services. For the majority of these programs, consistency is the key to building trust within the urban Native community. People see by our actions that we show up and are here to serve. We’re starting to have participation of the youth not only in the SUNS program but also in the youth groups, so they are doing both,” explained Valerie.
The Sioux City Community Schools initiated the third program that the Urban Native Center is conducting, the War Eagle Project. “The program’s goal is to provide students in the district a stronger, more culturally centered approach to Native American education. A third-grade teacher contacted me and said they would like to start working on Native History for our youth and students. That year, we took a teepee out to Leif Ericson Park. We constructed it and then explained it. I had some other folks assisting with this, including Kenny Provost and Menape LaMere, among other tribal leaders. They shared the historical significance of the teepee to the Native American community and culture with approximately 110 young learners,” shared Valerie.
Since the teepee construction and instruction was such a well-received program, Valerie envisioned another teepee program out at War Eagle’s monument. “Many people don’t even know that we have such a beautiful site at War Eagle’s monument in Stone Park, who he was, or what he stood for in the Native community. At War Eagle Park, we’ve held immersive learning and culturally affirming experiences, including youth educational camps, building and maintaining a community garden, participating in sweat lodge, and other traditional ceremonies. This has led to discussions to explore further opportunities to engage the community in a good way,” stated Valerie. This then led to other discussions and ceremonies.
The Memorial March to Honor Lost Children is held annually on the day before Thanksgiving, rain or shine. The inaugural march, held 22 years ago, was born of frustration and anger, a protest against the Woodbury County Iowa Department of Health & Human Services. Native American children were being removed from their families at a disproportionate rate, up to 5 times more than any other racial demographic. Most often, these children were placed in non-Native foster care and eventually adopted out, suffering the loss of family connection and their culture. Tension in the Native community came to a head after the death of a third Native American child who died while in the care of their foster/adoptive caregiver. The overrepresentation of Native American children in Woodbury County Child Welfare and outrage from the Native American community drew the attention of the Annie E. Casey Foundation to intervene and provide technical assistance and education to service providers and community members.
Their intensive efforts of data collection and analysis, modeling best practices, and education/awareness of disproportionality helped to create the grassroots Community Initiative for Native Children and Families. Through dedication and perseverance, this initiative continues to meet monthly, building bridges and fostering relationships for the betterment of serving Native families. With the assistance of the State of Iowa, Woodbury County Health & Human Service, and coordination from Siouxland Human Investment Partnership, the Memorial March has become a peaceful walk, honoring all children who’ve been lost. Natives and non-Native allies come together and are counted by their feet, representing their commitment to meaningful dialogue and true collaboration for better outcomes for Native American children and families.
In past years, Briar Cliff University hosted educational workshops for students, social workers, and other community partners who serve in the field of Native American child welfare in conjunction with the Memorial March. This year, the educational events will be held at the Sioux City Convention Center, located in the heart of downtown Sioux City. Our hope is to increase participation by offering an accessible, more centrally located venue. In addition to the new location, the University of Iowa College of Public Health, which features the Native Center for Behavioral Health, has joined our efforts as a committed partner to provide educational and awareness activities to our community.
It’s all about learning to understand each other’s culture through education, understanding, and respect.
By Amy Buster
