Oakland, California

During a recent visit to Intertribal Friendship House (IFH) in Oakland, California, we had the opportunity to spend time with Executive Director Lorena Rivera and learn more about this remarkable organization, which has been serving the community since 1955.

IFH is one of the earliest urban American Indian centers in the United States, and one of the reasons it is so important, like other urban Indian centers, is because it was created to support Native people who were relocated from reservations to cities as part of federal Indian relocation policies.

With a goal to assimilate Native people, the federal government defunded many services, including healthcare, schools, and more, on reservations. At the same time, Native people were encouraged to move off reservations with promises of jobs, healthcare, and support systems in urban centers. But in many cases, when people arrived, there was very little waiting for them. Urban Indian centers like IFH became a second home for Tribal people from all over, providing a place to gather, find support, and maintain connections to community and culture.

There is so much rich history here. IFH has occupied its current building in Oakland for decades. Located in the Little Saigon neighborhood, it’s a large space with indoor and outdoor gathering areas. The building needs work, and Lorena shared how much the surrounding neighborhood has changed over the years, including growing concerns about safety, which makes IFH’s presence as a strong community gathering place all the more important.

Since becoming Executive Director, Lorena has made bringing more plants and greenery into the space a priority. This is evident in the outdoor garden, where they are growing traditional medicines, and even in her office, which is filled with beautiful greenery. Some of the murals throughout the building have been there for years, while others are new. Together, they help make the space feel alive, comforting, and like home for people coming from all over.

IFH hosts a wide range of activities and events throughout the week. During our visit, they were preparing for an upcoming gardening event, and there are dance gatherings, feasts, beading classes, and ceremonies on site. The medicine garden is an important part of that work, providing plants used in cultural practices and ceremonies.

One thing Lorena shared is that Oakland’s Native community isn’t concentrated in one neighborhood. People are spread throughout the Bay Area, and some travel as much as two hours to come to IFH and gather in community.

They also work closely with young people. Upstairs, there is a dedicated youth room where kids can spend time together, participate in a homework club, and have a space of their own. With a staff of just five people, IFH doesn’t currently provide a lot of direct services, but they help connect community members to services and resources when needed.

Overall, it was a really special visit. IFH is such a strong pillar in the Oakland community, but it is also part of a much larger history of urban Indian centers across the country.

These centers have helped keep culture and community alive, maintaining connections that remain central to the lives of Indigenous people living in urban spaces. At a time when assimilation was the goal of federal relocation policies, places like IFH became important centers of resistance to those efforts.

There is so much beauty in that, and in the work that continues at Intertribal Friendship House today.