Aanni
Boozhoo

Aanni Boozhoo [Greetings]...

The McKee Preservation Group, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, formed as a coalition of DuPage County residents and businesses advocating for the preservation, funding and restoration of the historic McKee site on St Charles Road at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve in DuPage County, Illinois.

The Midwest SOARRING Foundation (Save Our Ancestor's Remains & Resources Indigenous Network Group), formed in November 1996, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit, with a mission to provide assistance as a facilitator to the tribes regarding repatriation concerns; educate the public about various American Indian cultural and educational issues; and build community among all peoples.

What is The Center?

The McKee Preservation Group, Inc. and The Midwest SOARRING Foundation present:

The Native American Cultural & Environmental Center at Churchill Woods Forest Preserve.

With your help we can create a one-of-a-kind Educational Attraction in the heart of DuPage County.

What will The Center do?

Preserve Culture

  • Establish a museum and library featuring Native American artifacts and interpretations
  • Provide educational programming about Native American life-ways and culture (e.g. bison)

Preserve the Environment

  • Create a garden of sacred native plants
  • Preserve the native hardwood forest of Churchill Woods
  • Serve as the natural gateway to the 263-acre forest preserve

Preserve History

  • Install a historical marker commemorating the indigenous peoples who called the area of Churchill Woods Forest Preserve home

  • Feature a traditional longhouse to teach the public about the practicality of  Native American architecture and its uses of renewable resources

  • Honor and protect a historic site and restore and revitalize a historic building.

  • Host traditional Native American celebrations and ceremonies

There is no Event

Architectural Rendering, c. 1936 by McKee House architect, Harold Kohlman
Built in the 1936 during the Great Depression
The McKee House at Churchill Woods in Glen Ellyn

"We invite you to join our circle. Dance at our pow wows. Attend our cultural events. As you listen, you will learn. Together we become the Spirit of the ancestors and this land."

-Joseph Standing Bear​
Joseph Standing Bear