Who We Are
The Sacred Pipe Resource Center was founded in 2007 by a group of long-term residents who wanted to carry on the work of a previous Native-led organization, the Peace Pipe Indian Center. The roots of SPRC are embedded in the work of the founder, who utilized a Bush Foundation Fellowship to establish a baseline of data through a community survey (which continues to this day). The organization received 501(c)3 acknowledgement by the IRS in early 2014 and has been working since to help build, sustain, and enhance our local Native community.
Our History
The Sacred Pipe Resource Center is a North Dakota non-profit and 501(c)3 organization. SPRC seeks to enhance existing services by providing critical data, outreach and cultural brokering needs, rather than replicating or competing for existing services. Through the use of quantitative and qualitative data, SPRC addresses service gaps which may be met by partnering with organizations already providing similar services, and by seeking funding to fulfill gaps in services.
Our Mission
- Addressing the social/cultural, emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical needs of Native people of all Tribes living in the Bismarck-Mandan area
- Fostering strong, self-sufficient individuals and families
- Providing a bridge between Native and non-Native people to foster a cohesive community
The Sacred Pipe
The Sacred Pipe Resource Center takes its name from the meaning behind the pipe as a tool for sharing spirit, truth, reconciliation, and peace. Although the Native peoples and the settlers who came to this area have had a history of conflict, today we also have a history that includes survival, reconciliation, peace, and shared love of land. The Sacred Pipe Resource Center uses the symbol of the sacred pipe to demonstrate the mission of serving the American Indian population by creating partnerships and positive collaborations based on our shared experience of living in this region. May all of our interactions be governed by principles of shared truth, kinship, prayer, and recognition of spirit.