Intertribal Friendship House (IFH), located in Oakland, CA, was founded in 1955 and is one of the first urban American Indian community centers in the nation. Originally established by the American Friends Service Committee, IFH was created to support American Indian people who were relocated from reservations to the San Francisco Bay Area as part of federal policies. Today, the Bay Area’s Native community is richly multi-tribal, comprised of Native individuals and families who are originally from the region as well as those who have relocated from tribes across the United States and beyond.
For urban Native people, IFH serves as a vital "Urban Reservation" and cultural homeland, providing a crucial space to stay connected to their heritage and traditions. Through pow wow dance, drumming, beading classes, social gatherings, cultural events, and ceremonies, IFH continues to foster a sense of belonging and cultural continuity. It offers much more than just services; it is the living, breathing heart of the Native community in the Bay Area—a place where people come together to celebrate, preserve, and pass on their traditions and values.
Intertribal Friendship House is more than an organization—it is the spiritual and cultural hub for many, a gathering place where Native identity and community are continually nurtured.
The Mission & Vision of Intertribal Friendship House
The Mission
The mission of Intertribal Friendship House (IFH) is to promote the ability of Native people to thrive in an urban environment through ceremony, traditions and cultural connection, to provide a safe environment to strengthen cultural identity, promote health, inter-generational healing and support the development of extended family.
The Vision
We envision a future where Native people in the Bay Area are rooted in strong cultural connection and intergenerational healing and invested in our traditions that will help future generations survive.
What the community says about IFH:
“So proud of the work the house continues to do. Always feels like a homecoming.”
“I remember running around IFH when I was a child, and now I am here with my 13 and 15 year-olds. Thank you for keeping it going. ”
“As a young person born and raised in the Bay Area, it’s great to have a place to reconnect with my Native roots surrounded by my people. I learn so much about my culture from this space.”
