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Chicago American Indian Conference of 1961
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Originally known as the American Indian Charter Convention, what is now known at the Chicago American Indian Conference of 1961 was a planned convention scheduled from June 13 through June 20 to put forth recommendations to the federal government on federal Indian policy. The idea of the convention came from a culmination of Native American leaders within already existing Native organizations such as the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), leaders of tribal nations, and non-Native individuals with a vested interest in the efforts of self-determination and the recognition of sovereignty of tribal nations.

One non-Native who became a major proponent of the Conference and its main coordinator was Dr. Sol Tax, an anthropology professor at the University of Chicago who had a history of involvement with Native peoples through the NCAI and the Chicago Native community. Based on his experience and relationship with community members, Tax approached leaders of the Chicago Native community and organizations within Chicago to gauge their interest in hosting this national meeting. Members of this initial meeting who became crucial members of the Indian Advisory Committee during the planning process included Benjamin Bearskin (Ho-Chunk/Oceti Sakowin), Irene Dixon, Frank Fastwolf, Willard LaMere, Rose Stevens, D'Arcy McNickle (Metis), and non-Native Father Peter J. Powell.

Prior to the national conference, dozens of regional conferences took place to discuss regional issues within Native communities in preparation for the larger gathering. The Conference was finally held at and funded by the University of Chicago after months of meetings and communication between representatives of tribal nations, members of Native communities, and organizations that fought for the protection of rights for Native people and Native nations.

The final draft of theDeclaration of Indian Purpose was the result of this conference, and it addressed the contemporary issues impacting Native peoples. These issues included a call to revoke the federal policy of termination and assure water rights, land rights, healthcare, education, and a reorganization of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

Along with this Declaration, which was presented to President John F. Kennedy, another result of this conference was the emergence of another intertribal organization. The National Indian Youth Council (NIYC), now known as the Native Professional Advancement Center, grew from a coalition of younger Natives who attended the conference who were frustrated with the approaches of some tribal leaders.

Although there was not another conference, the Chicago conference of 1961 demonstrated that Native individuals and tribal leaders could and would come together to advocate for issues that impacted all Natives.

Sources:

Daniel Cobb. Native Activism in Cold War America: The Struggle for Sovereignty. (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008).
Oliver LaFarge. "An American Indian Program for the Sixties" Newsletter of the Association on American Indian Affairs, Inc no. 40, February, 1961. pg. 3 (Sol Tax Papers)
James B. LaGrand. Indian Metropolis: Native Americans in Chicago, 1945-75. (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2002).
Letter from Sol Tax to members of the Native American Community in Chicago, "University of Chicago: Letter to Chicago area Indians regarding the preparation for the American Indian Convention in June," Feb. 7, 1961, Tom Greenwood Papers Folder 6, Newberry Library.
"Statement to All American Indians from Clarence Wesket". American Indian Charter Convention, Box 348, Folder 8, Sol Tax Papers, Uniersity of Chicago.

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Red Power Activism in Chicago

Native people have long asserted their presence across the United States, however, the most often looked to period of Native activism is known as the Red Power Movement of the 1960s and 1970s. <br> <br> The Red Power Movement is defined by moments outside of Chicago that include the Indians of All Tribes' occupation of Alcatraz, the Occupation of Wounded Knee by the American Indian Movement (AIM), and the occupation of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington, D.C.; but these were not the only ways Native peoples advocated for themselves. Within Chicago, the Native community chose multiple paths of activism, spanning from occupying sites to protest housing conditions, founding pre-secondary schools, establishing a college, and promoting intertribal collaborations across the Unites States. <br> <br> This City Story centers the Chicago Native community by examining sites and actions taken by Native people within Chicago during the era of Red Power. However, it also looks beyond these moments. Tribal nations, intertribal institutions, individual Native people, and at times non-Natives have consistently worked to promote Indigenous issues within cities such as Chicago. <br> <br> Sources<br> Daniel Cobb. *Native Activism in Cold War America: The Struggle for Sovereignty.* (Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2008). <br> Kent Blansett, Cathleen D. Cahill, and Andrew Needham, eds. *Indian Cities: Histories of Indigenous Urbanization.* (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2022). <br> James B. LaGrand. *Indian Metropolis: Native Americans in Chicago, 1945-75.* (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2002). <br> John Laukaitis. *Community Self-Determination: American Indian Education in Chicago, 1952-2006.* (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2015).