Ak-Chin Indian Community Dedicates the Former Bureau of Indian Affairs House as Community Center/ Meeting Location
(Maricopa, Ariz.) – The Ak-Chin Indian Community recently re-dedicated the renovated historic Bureau of Indian Affairs agent house as an extension of the Him-Dak Eco Museum and provides additional meeting space for the Tribal community. Located at the eastern end of the main Ak-Chin Village, the building, which still has the original wood flooring in the main area of the home, received a fresh coat of paint along with interior upgrades that were designed to emulate the original architecture and design of the house. For nearly a quarter of a century, the BIA House was considered abandoned since its last tenants vacated the premises in the 1990’s. It wasn’t until 2003, with the Community’s input, that two historic buildings would be scheduled for restoration and incorporated into the museum program. The BIA house was first of the two to be renovation, work began in 2007. The next historic building to be restored is the St. Francis Mission School House. The building will showcase the history of the BIA House and the relationship to the community, including its previous residential use as well as the first pre-school operated by the tribe. Please call for information on hours of operation. “The place will share history relating to the start of modern farming and how the irrigation engineers worked to develop the wells, pump stations and canals with members who were farming their two-acre lots,” Peters said. “There is a lot of history involved with this and will be shared with members. It will also be a meeting place for the museum to present various speakers on topics of interest from members.” About Ak-Chin Indian Community: The Ak-Chin Indian Community is nestled into the Santa Cruz Valley of Southern Arizona. The Community lies 58 miles south of Phoenix in the northwestern part of Pinal County. Ak-Chin is an O'odham word translated to mean "mouth of the wash" or "place where the wash loses itself in the sand or ground.” Ak-Chin has an enrollment of more than 850 tribal members.
