AICHO

AICHO, American Indian Community Housing Organization, is an organization focused on strengthening and supporting the Indigenous population in Duluth. While the main endeavor of the organization is to provide housing and supportive services, it also manages artistic, cultural, climate change, and food sovereignty initiatives in the area. AICHO has partnerships with other organizations to provide mental health services, homelessness assistance, legal aid, and more. It also provides several children’s programs to engage and encourage leadership in Native children living at their housing sites, from trips to wild rice fields to selling their own food at the farmers market. 

AICHO is committed to spreading awareness about, and finding cultural solutions to, climate change. The organization received a grant in 2017 from Enterprise Community Partners which was used to build two urban gardens and a 16.5 kw solar array on the roof of the Dr. Roberts Powless Cultural Center. Through these funds the organization has also been exploring worm composting and rainwater collection systems and is implementing strategies at its urban gardens and partnered sites. The Water Protector mural overlooking the solar array was designed by NSRGNTS with assistance from over 50 community members. In addition, AICHO recently acquired property in Central Hillside that it is renovating into the Niiwin Market, an indoor farmers market/community center. The Niiwin market will be a site that provides the community with access to local, indigenous food and healthy, grab-and-go alternatives that currently are not an accessible option in the neighborhood.

Additional projects include the AICHO galleries, the Dabinoo’Igan Emergency Domestic Violence Shelter, and the 2301 Arts Building, all of which are at different levels of development and require different levels of support.

Image by NSRGNTS, artwork by Votan Ikat.