Beading Class
Discover the artistry of beadworking at the American Indian Center through our engaging weekly classes. Whether you’re a seasoned beadworker or a novice who is eager to learn, our program […]
Damien Kardaras
Damien was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1977. He went to several grade schools, including a CPS gifted education program offered at Burbank elementary. Damien went to Loyola Academy for high-school and received a bachelor’s of science from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. After some years of working in his field, he switched gears to help support the family accounting business started by his father. Since 2004, Damien has been and owner and licensed accountant at Alphameric Accounting in Lincolnwood where he and his team serve a wide range of clients with bookkeeping, payroll, and tax preparation services.
Sarina DiMaso
Sarina Thate Othunwahe (Windy City) DiMaso is a Recovery Relapse Peer Support Prevention Counselor at AIHSC. Sarina is a 52-year-old mother of four and grandmother of one. She is a […]
Sarina DiMaso
Bio coming soon.
Noelle Garcia
Noelle Garcia currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Art at National Louis University within the undergraduate college. Noelle specializes in writing curriculum in the arts with an emphasis on Native American art history. She has worked in varying roles in arts education and nonprofit organizations for over 20 years. Prior to her current position, Noelle worked at Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education where she specialized in training artists and Chicago Public School teachers on designing collaborative arts integrated curriculum and projects.
Mark Ford
Mark is originally from Alamosa, Colorado and is Chiricahua Apache with a Jicarilla Apache and Pueblo descent. Mark was a Roman Catholic priest for 16 years where he served 7 years as a pastor on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations in Arizona. He was later assigned to two churches in New Orleans, Louisiana where he co-founded a ministry for children with disabilities and their families.
After Hurricane Katrina, Mark was appointed by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco to be the Assistant Director of Disability Affairs in 2006 to assist persons with disabilities in accessing resources and services after the hurricane. In 2008, he was then appointed by Governor Bobby Jindal as the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs assisting the Louisiana tribes after Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in their recovery efforts.
In 2010, Mark moved to the Black Hills of South Dakota and began working at Partnership With Native Americans (PWNA) in Rapid City initiating PWNA’s Long-Term Solutions sustainable programs for tribal communities. He was later appointed as the Director of Community Partnerships and Tribal Relations, cultivating partner relationships with corporations, foundations, non-profit organizations, tribes and philanthropists to support PWNA’s work.
Mark currently lives in Portage, Indiana and has been the Director of Native/Tribal Partnerships at Feeding America for over 2 years where he is assists the initiatives of the Food Banks within Feeding America’s membership to develop or enhance relationships with Native/Tribal communities and to partner with native American led and serving grasstop organizations.
Jessica Pamonicutt
Bio coming soon!
Dr. Nataka Moore
Dr. Nataka Moore is of African-American heritage. Dr. Moore is on faulty at Adler University in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Moore is a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of clinical and academic experience. Dr. Moore currently sees individuals and couples in her private practice. Dr. Moore, as a human rights activist, has led major social justice based national and international initiatives and has won the 2019 social justice award at Adler University for her work. In Cuba her work centered around racial equity and women’s rights as she co-led a delegation of 19 women through her work with the US women and Cuba Collaboration. Dr. Moore has been recognized by the Women Issues Committee through the National Council of Schools of Professional Psychology and was awarded the 2017 Diversity Award for her commitment to women’s issues and intersectionality. In the Dominican Republic and Liberia, she worked with issues related to human rights and mental health. In October of 2022 through the support of a Department of State grant and an Adler University Seed grant, she worked in Madagascar addressing post-partum depression with rural Malagasy women. Dr. Moore has sat on multiple boards over the years including Heartland Alliance Human Care service. Lastly, Dr. Moore continues to serve BIPOC folx in promoting well-being and addressing mental health needs in the Chicagoland area through health fairs, seminars, workshops, consultation and activism as is her passion.
American Indian Center of Chicago Receives Three-Year Grant for Indigenous Food Sovereignty Project
CHICAGO—Just in time for Native American Heritage Month, the American Indian Center (AIC) has received a federal grant of over $1 million for its Indigenous food sovereignty project. The grant […]
American Indian Center welcomes Mr. Ronnie Preston
The American Indian Center – Chicago is proud to announce the hiring of our Cultural and Education Programs Director! Please help in giving Mr. Ronnie Preston a warm welcome. We […]