American Indian Culture and Research Journal

Since the 1880s, the federal government has supported the migration of Native peoples to urban spaces. In the decades following World War II, American Indians migrated in large numbers to cities such as Chicago, both on their own and through the federal relocation program. Based on oral history interviews and ethnographic research, this paper explores reflections from multiple generations of contemporary Chicago Natives on urban migration and cultural survival in city spaces. This paper describes the motivations for urban migration and demonstrates the central role Native social organizations have played in the survival of Native culture and communities in urban spaces.