Is it possible to find tranquility amidst urban hustle? Indian Village in Chicago offers just that. This small southeast corner of Kenwood holds layers of history. It is a community area on Chicago’s South Side.
Indian Village is bounded by Lake Shore Drive to the east. Burnham Park is to the north. 51st Street marks the southern boundary. Harold Washington Park sits to the southeast. The Illinois Central Railroad tracks define the western edge.
Many buildings bear names of American Indian tribes. Look for the Narragansett. It is a National Register of Historic Places site. The Powhatan Apartments are a Chicago Landmark. Don’t miss the Chippewa and Algonquin Apartment buildings.
The former Chicago Beach Hotel now hosts the Regents Park. This site also lies within Indian Village. The Hyde Park Art Center has a new location here at 5020 S Cornell Avenue.
Carol Moseley Braun once lived in the 5000 East End Building. She was a former United States Senator. This building was the tallest on Chicago’s South Side until 1965. The Powhatan Apartments have a unique feature. It is the only 24-hour elevator operator building in Chicago.
Regents Park’s South Tower stands as the tallest building in Kenwood. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed the Algonquin Apartments. These are six identical 14-story towers. He also designed the nearby Chippewa Cooperative Apartments. Mies asked for his name to be removed from these projects. The developer altered the glass-enclosed lobby design.
These apartments were completed in 1951. The Twin Towers Apartments were built next door. They originally housed U.S. Army personnel. This was the Fifth Army Headquarters.
However, there is also a different story behind the name Indian Village. In the early 1970s, another group emerged. It was called the Chicago Indian Village. It was a short-lived American Indian affordable-housing protest group. They aimed to raise awareness of poor living conditions. They wanted to remedy these conditions for Native Americans in Chicago.
The US government encouraged Native Americans to relocate to urban centers. By 1969, Chicago was home to over 10000 Native American citizens. The American Indian Center of Chicago provided social services. The Native American Committee believed more focus should be on poverty alleviation. Mike Chosa, a student of Saul Alinsky, led this group.
In 1970, Carol Warrington began a rent strike. She wanted her landlord to improve her dilapidated apartment. After her eviction, the NAC stepped in. Chosa borrowed a teepee. He pitched it near Wrigley Field. He demanded justice for Warrington. He wanted better living conditions for Native Americans. The media called it the “little Alcatraz Movement.”
The protesting group split. Chosa’s followers formed the Chicago Indian Village. In June 1971, they occupied land at Belmont Harbor. They demanded housing units and a school. The police evicted them after two weeks. The group camped at various locations. Eventually, they disbanded in the summer of 1972.
Though short-lived, the Chicago Indian Village achieved some goals. They pressured the Federal Regional Council Task Force. They secured a place at the table to discuss solutions. They won temporary lodging and a commitment to public housing.
Indian Village carries layers of narratives. Architectural history meets social activism. As you wander through this neighborhood remember its diverse stories. Indian Village is a testament to Chicago’s multifaceted past.