Native American Committee facts for kids

The Native American Committee (NAC) was an important group in Chicago, Illinois. It focused on creating learning programs and schools for Native Americans. The NAC is best known for starting the Native American Educational Services College. This was the only college in a big city that was run by and for Native Americans.

How the NAC Started

In the middle of the 1900s, many Native Americans moved to cities like Chicago. This happened because of US government policies like the Indian Relocation Act of 1956. By 1969, Chicago had over 10,000 Native American citizens.

In 1953, Native Americans in Chicago created the American Indian Center (AIC). The AIC offered social help, programs for kids and seniors, and cultural events.

A New Group Forms

In 1969, a new group formed within the AIC. They were inspired by the Occupation of Alcatraz. This was a two-year protest where Native Americans took over Alcatraz Island. The new group called themselves the Native American Committee (NAC).

The NAC wanted the AIC to offer more education programs. They also wanted to use stronger protest methods. Key members included Dennis Harper, Robert V. Dumont, Jr., William Whitehead, Nancy Dumont, Verdaine Farmilant, and Faith Smith. Faith Smith worked for the AIC director.

In 1991, Faith Smith explained that some people in the AIC wanted to focus on helping Native Americans facing poverty. Others preferred the AIC to be more of a social club. Helen Whitehead, a NAC member, said their goal was to help young Native American students. They wanted to build a strong, positive self-image in them.

NAC Becomes Independent

In 1970, the NAC officially became its own group in Illinois. Even so, many members still worked at or belonged to the AIC.

The Housing Protest

That same year, a protest about housing began near Wrigley Field in Chicago. A Menominee woman named Carol Warrington had six children. She stopped paying rent because her apartment needed repairs. On May 5, 1970, her landlord forced her family out.

The NAC decided to protest this unfair treatment. They borrowed a special ceremonial teepee from the AIC. NAC activists set up the teepee next to the baseball stadium. This protest successfully brought attention to Carol Warrington's problem. It also showed the poor living conditions many Native Americans faced in Chicago.

The Group Splits

Soon, the NAC protest group split apart. Many AIC members felt the short protest was a success and should end. But a core group of NAC members, led by Steve Fastwolf, left to focus on education.

Michael Chosa led the remaining campers out of NAC. They formed a new group called the Chicago Indian Village (CIV). Their protest continued in different places until 1972.

NAC's Educational Successes

In 1971, the NAC started its first big project: the Little Big Horn School. This high school worked with Chicago Public Schools. It was created to meet the needs of Native American high school students.

With a federal grant of $244,000, five teachers taught eighty high school students. They also taught twenty preschool students. In 1973, the NAC started another program, the O-Wai-Ya-Wa Elementary School.

NAES College

In 1974, Faith Smith and the NAC founded the Native American Educational Services College (NAES College). Faith Smith became its president. This college was special because it was the only urban college managed by and serving Native Americans. The college helped more than three hundred students graduate. It stopped offering classes in 2005.

See also

• American Indian Center
• Chicago Indian Village
• Native American civil rights
• Red Power movement
• Urban Indian