Spokane’s Native American community has spent generations preserving language, strengthening cultural traditions and building economic opportunities across the region. Now, that groundwork is creating more opportunities through two major developments: the creation of a city advisory council for urban Native residents and a new Salish School of Spokane campus that will expand Indigenous language education and provide a dedicated space for community gatherings and events.
A FORMAL VOICE
The Spokane Urban Native Advisory Council (SUNAC) was officially formed on June 15, 2026, after all seven Spokane City Council members sponsored and approved an ordinance creating the advisory body.
The advisory council grew out of informal monthly conversations between city officials in Mayor Lisa Brown’s administration and urban Native American community members starting in January 2026.
Those meetings gave community leaders a space to discuss challenges facing Native residents, including barriers to accessing city services and potential solutions…