Specific examples of success are:

*Building IPA chapters of over 350 dues-paying members
in three Montana cities.

*Conducting a successful law enforcement issues campaign
that focused on the lack of cultural awareness and differences by law enforcement. The result was
IPA provided Dismantling Racism training to all city and
county law enforcement departments in Missoula.

*Demanding qualified Native Americans be hired as
police officers in the Missoula police department. In
March 2000, the first Native American police officer
was hired.

*Forcing the Billings public school district to meet federal guidelines set forth for the Title IX Indian Education Program, a program that had been out of compliance
for twenty years.

*Forcing the Missoula school district board of trustees
to implement the use of a Harassment Incident Report
form specifically for the reporting of racial and sexual student harassment.

*Successfully petitioned the Missoula school district
board of trustees to add the "recognition of the cultural
uniqueness of Native American students" as a goal
in the mission statement of the district.

Indian People's Action (IPA) is a 10-year old, statewide citizen action organization with a membership of over 600 low- and moderate-income urban Indian families. IPA has successfully organized urban Indians in three of five of Montana's largest cities: Billings, Butte, and Missoula. Indian People Action or IPA is an organized Chapter of Montana Peoples Action.

IPA families are urban Indian families organized to impact social, economic, and racial justice issues at the neighborhood, citywide,and statewide levels. IPA has demonstrated a consistent ability to impact the decisions and policies of powerful statewide public and private institutions while simultaneously building strong local organizations and developing talented, committed grassroots leadership.

For more information, and to join IPA, please contact an MPA office near you.