We are on unceded Ramaytush Ohlone land.
Designating a small part of this City as the first American Indian Cultural District in California provides a small reparation for the land stolen and genocide of us, the original people on this land. It shows the strength and spirit of our people to survive and be resilient. This area will allow us to establish needed resources and space to give honor to those that came before us, support for those who are here and a foundation for those that will follow after us. It also elevates our visibility to those that believe or want us to be gone to show "we are still here".”
- Mary Travis-Allen, AICD Advisory Board President
Our Purpose
To uplift American Indian/Alaskan Native cultures, histories, peoples, and Native-led organizations in the American Indian Cultural District and throughout Yelamu (San Francisco).
Our Vision
To build a culturally rooted, economically vibrant community base that uplifts American Indian/Alaska Native cultures, increases visibility, and advances policies that ensure equitable resources, funding, and opportunities in Yelamu (San Francisco).
About Us
Founded on March 31, 2020, the American Indian Cultural District (AICD) is the only city- and state-recognized American Indian Cultural District in the United States. AICD is dedicated to uplifting American Indian legacies, cultures, peoples, and contributions.
The American Indian Cultural District (AICD) is located in Yelamu, on the unceded ancestral homeland of the Ramaytush Ohlone, in what is now known as San Francisco's Mission District. This area is home to a unique concentration of American Indian organizations, programming, public art, cultural resources, and gathering spaces that have been—and continue to be—vital to the American Indian community in the San Francisco Bay Area.
AICD advances Native visibility, cultural preservation, and economic vitality through Indigenous-led placemaking, placekeeping, advocacy, and public art. Guided by community-driven priorities, we work to strengthen Native businesses, organizations, and cultural resources while advancing policies that address the historic underrepresentation of American Indians in government systems.
Our main office, the American Indian Cultural District Hub, is located at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture, where we provide a collaborative workspace for Native organizations. AICD also operates a satellite office within the Cultural District at Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) at 415 Valencia Street, strengthening our presence and services within the community.
Overall we seek to empower the urban American Indian community and continue to heal centuries of systemic oppression and racism so we can secure the tools and resources we need to be able to serve our own people. We believe that culturally-relevant and culturally-competent initiatives are created and enacted by American Indians for American Indians.
IndigenizeSF Project
One of the American Indian Cultural Districts top priorities is the Indigenize Project which is a placemaking and placekeeping initiative dedicated to uplifting and celebrating American Indian cultures, histories, and contributions through culturally rooted public art, events, and educational activations.
Through a growing trail of public art installations and documented cultural heritage sites across the city, residents and visitors are invited to engage with and learn more about American Indian histories and cultures in interactive and meaningful ways. To learn more visit: https://americanindianculturaldistrict.org/indigenizesf
About Cultural Districts
In 2018, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors sponsored legislation to create Cultural Districts which are a geographical area within San Francisco that embodies a unique cultural heritage. Through a formalized collaborative partnership between the City and a diverse range of communities, the goal of the Cultural Districts program is to better coordinate resources to assist in stabilizing vulnerable communities facing, or at risk of, displacement or gentrification as well as to preserve, strengthen and promote cultural assets and diverse communities.
As of March 2020, there are eight Cultural Districts: African American Arts and Cultural District, American Indian Cultural District, Calle 24 Latino Cultural District, Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, Japantown Cultural District, Leather LGBTQ Cultural District, SoMa Pilipinas - Filipino Cultural District, and Transgender Cultural District.
We are honored to be part of this diverse collective and we stand in solidarity with our sister Cultural Districts.
Native American Heritage Month: American Indian Cultural District
Cultural District Timeline
11/30/2020: San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously motioned to support an expansion of the American Indian Cultural District boundaries from 18th Street to 20th Street to include Mission Dolores Park. The final expansion vote will take place on December 8, 2020. For more information see Agenda Item 2.
11/4/2020: San Francisco Historic Preservation Committee voted unanimously to expand the American Indian Cultural District’s boundaries to the original boundaries agreed on by Supervisor Ronen & Mandelman in March of 2020. For more information see the Supporting Documents.
03/21/2020: San Francisco Board Of Supervisors unanimously pass the first American Indian Cultural District in California. For more information see the agenda and watch here. The discussion starts at 12:00.
02/27/2020: Supervisor Ronen introduces the American Indian Cultural District (AICD) Ordinance to the San Francisco Board Of Supervisors.
12/18/2019: Office of Historic Preservation voted on the American Indian Cultural District Ordinance.
11/13/2019: Mayor London Breed announced the American Indian Cultural District at the Annual American Indian Cultural Center Native American Heritage Night Celebration.
6/1/2019: American Indian Cultural Center (AICC) staff and local American Indian community leaders began working with the American Indian community and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) to establish the American Indian Cultural District (AICD).
4/7/2019: Elder Mary Jean Robinson started a mapping project to identify areas of significance to our community in San Francisco.