History

Franklin Avenue in south Minneapolis plays a central role in modern American Indian urban history.  Since the days of federal relocation, Franklin Avenue strikes a unique chord among many American Indian people both locally and nationally.  Once a hotbed of American Indian civil rights activism and community activity, the Avenue is now home to American Indian residents, businesses, tribal offices, and non-profit organizations.  It is from this base the urban American Indian community is articulating a new vision for Franklin Avenue.

Since the inception of NACDI and the preceding American Indian Families Project at Hennepin County, American Indian people have expressed a desire to see Franklin Avenue developed as a unique destination corridor that celebrates American Indian culture and stimulates economic activity within the community. In 2008, NACDI hosted four community design workshops/charettes designed to engage and solicit ideas and concepts for an American Indian Cultural Corridor on Franklin Avenue from the Franklin Light Rail station area to 11th Avenue. Each session averaged 40 community participants and from these meetings development concepts for the Corridor were created. What you see on this website is a depiction of these ideas from community members. The images on this website are meant to show what the corridor might look like in the future, but they are not specific development proposals. As the corridor is developed, NACDI will honor the vision of community members, and continue to seek community input and participation in defining the future of the community.