ABOUT US
Who We Are and Why We Organize
Our StoryThe Colorado Intertribal Policy Alliance is an independent, intertribal organization that builds the political power of urban and off-reservation Native people in Colorado. Nearly all Native people in the state live in its cities and towns, far from any reservation, and many along the Front Range. They come from tribes across the country, and over generations they have built a deep community here, anchored by places like the Denver Indian Center and the Denver March Powwow.
Our members have spent decades advocating for their community, at their city halls and under the gold dome. By 2025 we had organized well enough to do more than any of us could alone, so we formed CIPA to take the work further and to bring up the next generation of Native leaders.
We are non-partisan. We work with anyone who will fight for Native priorities, and we judge candidates by their commitment to our agenda, not their party. We are independent, and we do not speak for any single tribe or tribal government.
-
We build the power for Native Colorado to shape its own future.
-
We organize urban and off-reservation Native people in Colorado to advocate for the policies that improve our lives and to elect the leaders who will advance them.
-
We want a Colorado where Native people, wherever they live, help shape the decisions that affect them and have a real place on the land they call home. We are raising the next generation of Native leaders to carry that work forward.
What we stand for
Our principles
Self-determination
Native people should help make the decisions that affect our lives.
Every Native person counts
On a reservation or in a city, every Native person in Colorado has a voice worth hearing and needs worth meeting.
Many nations, one voice
We bring together Native people from tribes across the country who now call Colorado home.
Land and place
Native people deserve a place on the land where we live. We push the city and state to dedicate open space for Native gathering and ceremony.
The next generation
We invest in young Native people as the leaders and advocates of what comes next.
What we do
Our work
It runs across four areas. Some are underway now, and others begin over the coming year.
Policy advocacy and development
UnderwayWe develop policy that serves Native Coloradans and push it at the statehouse and in local government. Each session we track the bills that affect our community and work the relationships with lawmakers that move our priorities.
Native candidate recruitment and endorsements
UnderwayWe endorse Native and Native-allied candidates who will fight for our priorities. Over time we will also recruit and train Native candidates to run and win at every level, from school boards to the statehouse.
Voter registration and turnout
Beginning fall 2026Ahead of the November 2026 election, we will help Native Coloradans register and return their ballots. In Colorado every voter gets a ballot by mail, and a drop box is the free way to return it, so our push focuses on getting ballots in on time.
Youth leadership and advocacy training
Beginning fall 2026Starting this fall, ahead of the next legislative session, we will train young Native people to lead and to advocate. They will learn how policy gets made and how to make their voices count, so the next generation is ready to carry the work.
