Commission hears update on Indigenous Community Cultural Center, discusses outreach, MMIW prevention and a community powwow

City staff updated the Flagstaff Indigenous Commission on the Indigenous Community Cultural Center (ICCC) planning process and invited commissioners to a community visioning event. Commissioners also discussed a series of suggested future priorities, including outreach to explain the commission’s role, prevention-focused programming around missing and murdered Indigenous relatives, and reestablishing a city-supported community powwow.

ICCC update and public visioning

City staff said the city issued a request for statements of qualifications (RSOQ) for Indigenous nonprofit partners to help run programming at the Old Public Works Building (an historic firehouse on Tahoe Street). Staff said legal and refurbishment questions slowed the earlier process but that staff were now ready to move forward. An outdoor and youth-focused public visioning and community engagement event was scheduled for Saturday (10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.) to gather public input and produce design ideas youth can draw for the building’s future.

Why it matters: the ICCC is intended as a long-term space for Indigenous cultural programming, education and community services. Staff signaled that building refurbishment and a future operating agreement will require a partner and funding plan; parks and procurement staff are involved.

Prevention, outreach, and a city powwow

Commissioners raised several topics for future work:

- Missing and murdered Indigenous relatives: commissioners discussed planning a prevention-and-awareness forum (not a memorial) focused on early interventions, reporting pathways, victim services and jurisdictional complexities. The goal is to map local options and create clearer, public-facing guidance about who to contact and what protections or services exist.

- Outreach and visibility: commissioners proposed more regular public-facing communications (a “meet your commissioners” outreach, information tables at community events, and improved coordination with community groups) to let residents know the commission’s advisory role and how to bring concerns forward.

- Community powwow: commissioners asked staff to pursue a renewed, city-supported community powwow (previously held around city celebrations). The commission requested that staff include powwow funding and logistics in the city budget conversations; staff reported the budget office had preliminarily approved a budget request that will go to City Council for final approval.

Ending

Staff and commissioners agreed to share a calendar of upcoming events and to coordinate a small working group that will develop a scope for prevention-focused programming, an outreach plan and steps for powwow budgeting.