Photo by Ben Bearskin

Chicago is, and always has been, a Native place.

The Indigenous Chicago project is a multifaceted collaboration between the Newberry Library, the Chicago American Indian Community, and tribal nations who have ancestral ties to Chicago. The project includes a temporary exhibition at the Newberry Library, digital resources and interactive maps that reposition Chicago as Indigenous land and space, curriculum for high school social studies students, new oral histories of community members, and a series of public programs.

In the News

Our America: Indigenous Futures

In this episode, Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick, Chairman of the Prairie Band of Potawatomi Nation, and Dr. Rose Miron, a co-lead of the Indigenous Chicago project, discuss the various treaties that ceded land in the Chicago area between 1795 and 1833.

‘Indigenous Chicago’ project shows the city has always been a Native place

In WBEZ Chicago's latest episode of Curious City, Rose Miron and Analú López discuss the Indigenous Chicago project's collaborative origins and overarching goal of emphasizing that Chicago is, and always has been, a Native place.

View Our Online Exhibition Tour

Didn't get to see the exhibition before it closed? Don't worry! You can view our online exhibition tour at any time.

Project Components

Digital Resources and Maps

Browse through new interactive maps and resources that re-interpret Chicago’s history from Native perspectives.

Curriculum

Written for high school social studies classrooms, this five-module curriculum helps students explore more than five centuries of Indigenous history in Chicago.

Oral Histories

Listen to stories and perspectives from members of the Chicago Native community.

Blog

Read stories from Indigenous Chicago team members about their work and research.

Programs

Join us in person or online for programs that highlight Native history and culture in Chicago.

Exhibition

Drawing largely on the Newberry’s collection while also showcasing new work by contemporary Native artists, the Indigenous Chicago exhibition emphasizes the deep connections Native people have always had with this place.