A New Home for Indian History American Indians Found Refuge in Chicago during the 1950s. Now the American Indian Center Is Opening New Doors for Education with an Art Gallery and Museum in Schaumburg

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Byline: Sara Burnett Daily Herald Staff Writer

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CORRECTION/date 12-01-2004: To correct a misspelled name on a front-page caption that appeared with the story about the American Indian Center of Chicago, Joe Podlasek was holding daughter Ajiina.

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It was 1953 when a small group of American Indians held the first American Indian Center Powwow in Chicago. They filled the streets near Kinzie and LaSalle, dancing and singing and pounding drums.

At the time, the U.S. government was stripping more than 100 tribes of their "official" status, forcing many American Indians to leave tribal lands throughout the Midwest for cities such as …