COUP Council challenges the local nonprofit landscape that sees our relatives as a means to continue and expand their programming without working to transform the systems that uphold and enable discrimination against our people. We do this by:

▸ Collaborating with other Native organizations to address the challenges facing our respective communities.

▸ Developing partnerships with Native nonprofits to support and extend their work.

▸ Building strategic partnerships with traditional nonprofits that are open to helping COUP reach our goals in the manner we choose.

▸ COUP Council’s Board of Directors follows the Oceti Sakowin tradition of matriarchal leadership and decision making.

▸ Our organizational structure also pushes back against colonial modes of operating with a hierarchical structure and discrete task responsibility. While each COUP staff member focuses their efforts in specific areas, they all support each other’s work directly when requested and indirectly or by pitching in wherever and whenever needed to ensure that our organization meets the needs of our relatives and communities in the best way possible according to their guidance.

▸ Internal policies and procedures are based upon Oceti Sakowin values that privilege supporting and caring for one another as the foundation for all of our work. COUP values our staff and volunteers as the backbone of our organization and believes that our success comes from prioritizing their well-being.