Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum

The land that Gichigamiin Museum occupies today is the unceded, ancestral homelands of the Council of Three Fires: the Anishinaabeg (Ojibwe), Odawak (Odawa), and Bodéwadmik (Potawatomi) Nations. More than a dozen other Nations called this region of Northeastern Illinois home, including the Kiash Matchitiwuk (Menominee); Jiwere (Otoe), Nutachi (Missouria), and Baxoje (Iowas); Hoocąk (Winnebago/Ho-Chunk) Meshkwahkîha (Meskwaki); Asâkîwaki (Sauk); Myaamiaki (Miami), Waayaahtanwaki (Wea), and Peeyankihšiaki (Piankashaw); Kiikaapoi (Kickapoo); Inoka (Illini Confederacy).

Long before European contact, this region was a place of great significance for transportation, agriculture, trade, and commerce for many Indigenous communities throughout the Great Lakes. The innovation of these Indigenous communities and the complex infrastructure they developed served as a blueprint for Chicago to grow and become the major metropolis that we live in now.

Despite the forced removal, displacement, and oppression of the original inhabitants of this land, Chicago is still home to one of the country’s largest Native communities representing over 150 Indigenous Nations across North America. The presence of Chicago’s thriving Indigenous community today is a testament to their enduring strength, determination, and resilience.

The Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum honors the survival and perseverance of Indigenous communities. We are committed to promoting a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples and serving as a space to celebrate their diverse cultures, rich histories, and present-day experiences and contributions.