NYC American Indian Queen Mary Helen Deer in 1966!
AICH Timeline:
Please note this timeline will constantly change as more information becomes available please check back for updates.
AICH Executive Directors
1. Executive Director - Mike A. Bush (Mohawk) - 1969-?
2. Executive Director - Rosemary Richmond (Mohawk) - 1973-2010
3. Executive Director - Anthony Hunter (Shinnecock) - 2011-?
4. Executive Director - Joann ?
5. Executive Director - L. Buddy Gwin (Lumbee)
6. Interim Executive Director - Francis Grumbly (Mohawk) - 2011-2012
7. Executive Director - Christine Funamaker (Ho-Chunk) - 2012-2013
8. Executive Director - Kevin Tarrant (Ho-Chunk) - 2013-2016
9. Interim Executive Director - Ben Geboe (Yankton Sioux) - 2016-2018
10. Interim Executive Director - Curtis Harris-Davia (San Carlos Apache) - September 2018 to July 2019
11. Executive Director - Melissa Oakes (Akwasne Mohawk) - October 2019 to present
Rosemary Richmond former executive director of the American Indian Community House. Rosemary Richmond (Akwesasne Mohawk of the Bear Clan) was third-generation American Indian Community Member of New York City. She had worked for the American Indian Community House (AICH) from 1975, and was selected as AICH’s Executive Director in 1987 and served until 2010. Rosemary’s work with the Native Community was influential and her mentorship impacted many native lives. Rosemary worked tirelessly and her dedication to serving natives is evident through the programs that are still available at the community house. Her work was not just necessary but inspirational and her loss was shared by all.
"There was a community here in the metropolitan area in new york city. Going back to the 20’s, and there were informal meetings, informal groups that got together and did different things. Sometimes they did performance, but during that period of time, Indian people who came to new york city came for a number of reasons primarily with wild west shows or because they were in some form of show business. And that was how they made their living in show business. They danced and made crafts and did that from Madison square garden to broadway theaters to expositions at the armories." -Rosemary Richmond
"There’s always been a community here and there have been families that came by then there were second generation almost third generation but third generation was quite young of Indian people throughout the five boroughs. And they still had an informal system of getting together for different things. A group of them Mifaunwy Hines, Louis Mofsie, Oren Lyons who was then living here in new york and a few other people got together and with the help of Dr. Robert Venables put together the American Indian Community House.” -Rosemary Richmond
"There were various places that people had meetings at different fraternal organizations, I know there was a swedish club in brooklyn that the indian league used to meet at." -Rosemary Richmond
Below Photo Courtesy of Mary Helen Deer Smith from an article in The NY Times.
Some of the original organizers of the American Indian Community House,
By 1960, approximately 800 Mohawks (ironworkers and their families) lived in “Little Caughnawaga”, while others continued the weekly commute from and to reserves and reservations in southern Canada and upstate New York.1 Italian grocery stores began to stock Quaker White Enriched and Degerminated Corn Meal, used by the Mohawks to make corn soup and boiled bread.
1969
1969
1969
"The community house I think was meeting at the community church on 35th street and after it was created they had small donated office space that was probably maybe not quite this much space that’s here in this office and it was just a handful maybe 2 or 3 people and they did presentations at women’s groups and various places and used whatever funds they received to help indian people in need. It was a small scale operation." -Rosemary Richmond
1970
1969
1969
American Indian Community House
E. 35th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1971
1969
1971
American Indian Community House
E. 35th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1972
1972
1971
American Indian Community House
E. 35th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1973
1972
1973
American Indian Community House
E. 35th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1974
1972
1973
American Indian Community House
E. 35th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1975
1975
1975
American Indian Community House
E. 35th Street
New York, NY, 10016
to
American Indian Community House
10 E. 38th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1976
1975
1975
American Indian Community House
10 E. 38th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1977
1975
1977
American Indian Community House
10 E. 38th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1978
1978
1977
American Indian Community House
10 E. 38th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1979
1978
1979
American Indian Community House
10 E. 38th Street
New York, NY, 10016
1980
1978
1979
American Indian Community House
10 E. 38th Street
New York, NY, 10016
to
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
1980 - In the 1980s the church was transformed into a deluxe apartment building, but something of its old doorway—announcing Cuyler Church in ornate lettering—remains. Meanwhile local Reverend (and legend) David Munroe Cory learned the Mohawk-Oneida language for his congregation at Cuyler Presbyterian Church (358-360 Pacific Street in Brooklyn, New York, New York)
1981
1981
1981
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
1982
1981
1981
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
1983
1981
1983
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
1984
1984
1983
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
1985
1984
1985
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St., 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Michael A. Bush
1986
1984
1985
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Michael A. Bush
1987
1987
1987
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
1988
1987
1987
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
1989
1987
1989
American Indian Community House
842 Broadway St.
New York, NY, 10003
to
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
1990
1990
1989
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
1991
1990
1991
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1992
1990
1991
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1993
1993
1993
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1994
1993
1993
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
Celebrates 25th Year Anniversary
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1995
1993
1995
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1996
1996
1995
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1997
1996
1997
American Indian Community House
404 Lafayette Street
New York, NY, 10003
to
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1998
1996
1997
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
1999
2001: 9/11 Winter
1999
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2000
2001: 9/11 Winter
1999
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2001: 9/11 Winter
2001: 9/11 Winter
2001: 9/11 Winter
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2001 - THE YEAR PLANES FELL FROM THE SKY: 2001Tasunka Ota Win Waniyetu Wowapi (Her Many Horses Winter Count) Emil Her Many Horses
This was the year terrorist planes flew into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington DC. Dawson, the son of my older brother Leo, was in school at Columbia University in New York City at the time. Dawson’s Lakota name is Wakan Takopa, or First Holy. He was named for Dawson No Horse, one of our grandfathers who was a Sun Dance leader and a medicine man. He was given his Lakota name by Robert Stead, a well-known Sicangu spiritual leader, at the Rosebud Fair when he was about a year old. I myself was working in Suitland, Maryland, a Washington Suburb, when the plane flew into the Pentagon. I am a curator at the NMAI. My Lakota name is Taopi Cikala, or Little Wound. Many family and friends called to find out whether we were safe.
2002
2002
2001: 9/11 Winter
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2003
2002
2003
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2004
2002
2003
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2005
2005
2005
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2006
2005
2005
The American Indian Community House
708 Broadway, 8th Floor
New York, NY, 10003
to
The American Indian Community House
11 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY, 10004
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2007
2005
2007
The American Indian Community House
11 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY, 10004
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2008
2008
2007
The American Indian Community House
11 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY, 10004
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2009
2008
2009
Executive Director: Rosemary Richmond
2010
2008
2009
2010 - AICH Executive Director - Rosemary Richmond retires since serving in 1987.
2011: Resilience Winter
2011: Resilience Winter
2011: Resilience Winter
Interim Executive Director: Francis Grumbly
2012
2011: Resilience Winter
2011: Resilience Winter
Interim Executive Director: Francis Grumbly
to
Executive Director: Christine Funamaker
2013
2011: Resilience Winter
2013
American Indian Community House
134 West 29th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY, 10001
Executive Director: Christine Funamaker to Kevin Tarrant
2014
2015: Spirit World Winter
2013
American Indian Community House
134 West 29th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY, 10001
Executive Director: Kevin Tarrant
2015: Spirit World Winter
2015: Spirit World Winter
2015: Spirit World Winter
American Indian Community House
254 West 29th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY, 10001
Executive Director - Kevin Tarrant
Staff, Board, and Community Members of AICH perform the opening blessing during World AIDS Day, December 1st, 2015 at the Apollo Theater. The Silvercloud Drum Group opens with a song which is followed by a spoken word prayer while a women’s Traditional Dancer, Jingle Dress Dancer, Fancy Shawl Dancer, Men’s Traditional Dancer, Grass Dancer and community members danced with historical epidemic winter counts.
2016: Activism Winter
2015: Spirit World Winter
2015: Spirit World Winter
American Indian Community House
254 West 29th Street, 2nd Floor
New York, NY, 10001
to
American Indian Community House
39 Eldridge Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY, 10002
Executive Director - Kevin Tarrant
to Ben Geboe
2017: Indian Health Service Winter
2017: Indian Health Service Winter
2017: Indian Health Service Winter
American Indian Community House
39 Eldridge Street, 4th floor, New York, NY, 10002
Interim Executive Director and Director of the Health Department: Ben Geboe
2018: Volunteer Winter
2017: Indian Health Service Winter
2017: Indian Health Service Winter
American Indian Community House
39 Eldridge Street, 4th floor, New York, NY, 10002
September 7th, 2018 - New AICH Volunteer Executive Director: Curtis Harris-Davia
2019: 50 Winters Winter
2017: Indian Health Service Winter
2019: 50 Winters Winter
American Indian Community House
39 Eldridge Street, 4th floor, New York, NY, 10002
October 1st, 2019 - New Executive Director: Melissa
Oakes
Celebrating 50 years of serving the Native American, First Nations, Indigenous community of New York City and the Metropolitan area.