The Ain Dah Yung Center, a St. Paul emergency shelter for runaway and homeless American Indian youths, celebrated the Wednesday opening of its new permanent supportive housing facility in the Frogtown neighborhood.

Tribal, state and local officials were on hand as Mino Oski Aih Dah Yung (meaning “good new home” in Ojibwe) opened its doors at 769 W. University Ave.

The 42-unit apartment building will offer affordable housing to Native American youth ages 18 to 24. Although only 2 percent of the Minnesota population is Native American, 22 percent of all homeless youth are Native, according to the Ain Dah Yung Center.

The new building includes such cultural components as a medicine garden, sweat lodge and space where residents can practice traditional American Indian teachings.

Project for Pride in Living partnered with the Ain Dah Yung Center on the development and property management of the facility. Public and private funders included the city of St. Paul, the Metropolitan Council, the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, which was the project’s largest private donor, contributing a total of $700,000.

The façade of Indigenous architect Mike Laverdure’s building incorporates a tipi-inspired design honoring the Sioux communities of Minnesota, while seven totems represent the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe culture. The rear of the building also features a design reminiscent of a star quilt.