NAICCO’s Mission

The Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio (NAICCO) is devoted to preserving and restoring balance in the lives of Native Americans through traditional, cultural, educational, family, community, and wellness driven values and initiatives.

NAICCO Recognized as 1 of “5 NONPROFITS TO WATCH IN 2024”

NAICCO’s Focus Areas

1) Cultural Preservation/Restoration, 2) Social Development, and 3) Economic Development/Sustainability

Selma Sully-Walker—NAICCO’s Founder (1975 to 1997)

In 1975 Selma Sully-Walker (Sisseton-Wahpeton Dakota) was hired by the Manpower program to aid Native Americans in Columbus with job placements and other needs. Wanting to establish a focal point for the urban Indigenous population, she and others sold bait to local fishing and tackle stores to save up for a duplex on South High Street.

Over the years her work for her community was recognized by several local honors including the Community Service Award of the Columbus Dispatch, the Clifford Tyree Award of the City of Columbus Department of Human Services, and induction into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame in 1986.

Selma walked on January 3, 1997, in Columbus, Ohio. Through her shining example of dedication, compassion, and service, she helped shape a brighter future for Native Americans in Ohio. Today, Selma’s steadfastness and legacy continues to inform and inspire the next generation of leadership at NAICCO.

Mark and Carol Welsh—Second Set of Hands to Care for NAICCO (1997 to 2011)

Mark and Carol Welsh worked together as husband and wife to maintain the legacy Carol’s mom, Selma, created for the People in Central Ohio. They incorporated the values and teachings of the medicine wheel as the foundational fabric to their tenure at NAICCO. Their time, devotion, and love for the People and the culture helped carry NAICCO into the twenty-first century.

Ty & Masami Smith—Third Set of Hands to Care for NAICCO (2011 to Present)

Masami Smith, NAICCO Executive Director, and Ty Smith, NAICCO Project Director, manage the affairs at NAICCO today. Both are tribally enrolled members of The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs (Oregon); where they were both born and raised. Together, they have chosen to combine their life experiences and education to seek out the best possible ways to give back to their Native People, both in Ohio and around Indian Country.

Since 2011, they have had the honor and responsibility of serving as directors at NAICCO. Over the years, they have not only helped maintain the legacy of NAICCO, but they have also revitalized the agency into that of a sound urban Indian center in Ohio. Together, they have been able to positively impact the lives of countless Native American individuals and families. Today, they continue to hold steadfast to their mission work of preserving and restoring balance in the lives of their Native People through traditional, cultural, educational, family, community, and wellness driven values and initiatives—which can be witnessed through NAICCO programs, NAICCO Cuisine, and Land Back NAICCO.

NAICCO’s presence serves as a critical mainstay in the lives of numerous Native American individuals and families living in Ohio. For Native People, many who are far from their ancestral homelands, NAICCO serves as a home away from home. It’s a place in Ohio where Native People can come together and grow as an intertribal community. By holding space and providing authentic programming unique to our People’s expressed areas of need and concern, we are helping instill a genuine sense of belonging and identity.

At the end of the day, NAICCO is ultimately helping strengthen our Native People’s healing journey going forward—interlacing identity, pride, family, community, history, culture and traditions, connection to place, values, visibility, balance and harmony, and overall holistic wellbeing.

—Ty & Masami Smith, NAICCO Directors

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To learn more about NAICCO please feel free to read the following stories:

The Columbus Foundation: “5 Nonprofits to Watch Spotlight: Native American Indian Center of Central Ohio”

Spectrum News 1: “‘Everyday is a celebration to be a Native American’: nonprofit honors Native American heritage in November and all year round”

Midstory: “In Ohio, Native American Communities Are Telling a Contemporary Story”

The Columbus Foundation: “MEET THE 5 NONPROFITS TO WATCH IN 2024”

Bold Journey: “Meet Ty & Masami Smith”

NASW Ohio Chapter Magazine: “NAICCO: Preserving Culture and Fostering Connections”

Ty Smith shares his perspective with From the News: The Columbus Dispatch