Presidential Inauguration Coverage

North Dakota Tribe's Inaugural Parade Participants Stop in Windy City on Way to DC

Monica Whitepigeon in Native Currents. Discussion »

CHICAGO – The Kateri Center of Chicago opened its doors and kitchen to a group of North Dakota American Indians who will represent various North Dakota tribes today in the Presidential Inaugural Parade.

North Dakota Tribe's Inaugural Parade Participant at Chicago's Kateri Center

They were traveling to Washington DC for the 57th presidential inauguration.

There was a group of 37 participants. From high schoolers to elders, the delegates were grateful for the Kateri volunteers' hospitality.

While only there for just over an hour on Saturday evening, the group was able to stretch, charge their phones, and eat. Having being a bus for 12 hours from North Dakota to the Windy City, they enjoyed a bountiful spaghetti dinner and other refreshments before continuing their journey to make history.

“Our friends at the Kateri Center, a faith based community center that serves the urban American Indian population invited us into their center to eat, laugh and feel proud about our journey,”

commented one of the delegates blogging after they left Chicago.

It is estimated that up to 800,000 people will line the parade route that is 15 blocks long from the US Capitol to one block from the White House along Pennsylvania Avenue. This group was chosen out of over 2,800 applications received by the Presidential Inauguration Committee. The entire parade will have close to 9,000 participants.

The Kateri staff, headed by Georgina Roy, sent the group on their way to the nation's capital with prayers and praise for being chosen to be one group to represent Indian country at the inauguration.

posted January 21, 2013 6:00 am est