More Than Just a Beautiful Building
The Payne Family Native American Center (PFNAC) is more than a building — it’s a living space of learning, storytelling, connection, and cultural celebration. We often say, “We are more than just a beautiful building on the Oval,” because PFNAC is a home grounded in cultural significance and built with intention. Designed with Indigenous architecture, rooted in purpose, and powered by Native voices, it stands as a place where the uniqueness and histories of all ³Ô¹ÏÍø tribes are honored. PFNAC welcomes Native students, community members, and all who seek to learn, connect, and grow together.
Our Purpose
The Payne Family Native American Center is more than just a part of campus — it is a living space rooted in purpose, culture, and community.
On this page, you'll find our mission, our vision for the future, and the core values that guide how we support Native students, uplift Tribal nations, and connect culture with education.
Our Mission
The Payne Family Native American Center is a vibrant gathering place dedicated to honoring the enduring legacy of Indigenous peoples and this land. We are committed to preserving, revitalizing, and reclaiming Native American cultures and traditions — not just remembering them — while fostering a deep sense of belonging within the ³Ô¹ÏÍø community.
We support Native American student success, celebrate the contributions of Native faculty, and promote education, research, and partnerships that uplift Tribal sovereignty. As a home for Native students, a hub for Tribal collaboration, and a center for Indigenous scholarship and cultural exchange, the Payne Family Native American Center serves as a space for connection, growth, and empowerment.
It is a true place to create your own story.
Our Vision
We envision a future where Native American students, scholars, and communities thrive in spaces that celebrate cultural identity, advance Tribal sovereignty, and foster deep connections between Indigenous knowledge and academic growth — all within a building filled with laughter, music, dancing, art, and community.
We create a home — a place not only for gathering, but for growing. A place where community is built, and leaders are shaped. Leaders who will rise with pride, compassion, humility, and honor — and represent their people with strength and heart.
Core Values
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Cultural Continuity
Honoring and sustaining Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems. -
Belonging
Creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for Native students and community members. -
Sovereignty
Uplifting Tribal voices, partnerships, and self-determination -
Scholarship
Advancing Indigenous-led education, research, and academic excellence. -
Community
Strengthening connections between the University and Native Nations. -
Empowerment
Supporting personal growth, leadership, and the creation of new stories.
Cultural Continuity
Belonging
Sovereignty
Scholarship
Community
Empowerment
The PFNAC Action Over Words
The Payne Family Native American Center is located on the traditional, unceded lands of the Ktunaxa – Ksanka and many other indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land since time immemorial. This region has long served as a place of gathering, trade, and travel for many other tribes as well, like; the Amskapii Pikanii, Séliš, and Qĺispé, the Nimiipuu, Newe, and Panákwati (Bannock) peoples.
This building exists within a Western academic institution that has historically played a role in the erasure and misrepresentation of Native peoples and knowledge. Yet this space stands as part of the work to challenge and change that legacy. It reflects presence, resilience, and community.
The Payne Center is more than just a building — it is a place of learning, support, and belonging. It is a home away from home for Indigenous students, and a space where culture, language, and identity are not only welcomed but central.
Funded by private donors and the state of ³Ô¹ÏÍø, the building affirms the ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s commitment to Indigenous communities — in this region and beyond. Its design and purpose reflect the histories, traditions, and vibrant cultures of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s tribal nations.
The ³Ô¹ÏÍø's Action Over Words
The ³Ô¹ÏÍø is located on the traditional, unceded lands of the Ktunaxa – Ksanka and many other indigenous peoples who have stewarded this land since time immemorial. This region has long served as a place of gathering, trade, and travel for many other tribes as well, like; the Amskapii Pikanii, Séliš, and Qĺispé, the Nimiipuu, Newe, and Panákwati (Bannock) peoples.
We recognize and honor the deep, ongoing relationships Indigenous communities maintain with this land — relationships rooted in knowledge, care, and responsibility. Their stewardship continues to guide how we care for this place and each other, for the well-being of future generations.
A Little About the Building
This short introduction gives visitors an uplifting and cultural overview:
Discover PFNAC
Opened in 2010, the Payne Family Native American Center (PFNAC) at the ³Ô¹ÏÍø was the first facility in the U.S. built exclusively to house a Department of Native American Studies and American Indian Student Services .
Featuring a distinctive 12-sided rotunda—each side honoring one of ³Ô¹ÏÍø’s tribes—and an entrance that faces east as a nod to Plains traditions, PFNAC is both a cultural and sustainable landmark .
Designed with significant tribal input and built with reclaimed logs, native stone, and natural materials, the building blends traditional symbolism with cutting-edge environmental design—earning LEED Platinum status ³Ô¹ÏÍø.