Mission Statement
To provide value to the Native American community by creating and obtaining programs
that empower self-sufficiency and positive quality of life standards in individuals
and families.
History
Indian Center, Inc. was incorporated in 1969 as a non-profit organization in the
State of Nebraska with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. In 1980 the Indian Center dedicated
its 22,000 square foot building that was financed through a $1.1 million grant from
the Economic Development Administration.
Since its inception, the Indian Center has proven to be an integral and vital part
of the City of Lincoln’s human service network serving not only Native Americans
but non-Natives as well. From its Headquarter office in Lincoln, the Center provides
a continuum of human services on a state-wide basis from its satellite offices in
Omaha, Scottsbluff, and South Sioux City.
The Center is home to the Whispering Giant, a 30-foot wood sculpture created by
Peter Toth, a Hungarian immigrant, in 1980. The icon has boldly guarded the Indian
Center for nearly three decades and served as a symbol of unity and honor to the
Indian Community of Lincoln.
The Center was a recent recipient of the U.S. Department of Labor’s prestigious
2008 Outstanding Grantee Award, given annually to Workforce Investment Act Programs
that have exhibited outstanding management practices.