Mr.Darrell Robes Kipp

Director
Joined Northwest Area Foundation: July 2010


Darrell Robes Kipp – Apiniokio Peta (Morning Eagle), studied social policy and institutional change at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education; he is a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the Blackfeet Tribe of Montana. In l987, he cofounded the Piegan Institute, headquartered in Browning, Montana, to research, promote, and revitalize Native American language communities.  The institute is recognized for the unique private language school it operates and as an advocate of Native American community-based nonprofit strategies. Piegan Institute is a charter member of the successful Montana Nonprofit Association (MNA) founded in 2001 currently listing 1,000 registered members. 

Mr. Kipp chaired the board of the Siyeh Development Corporation, a federally chartered Section 17 corporation, for the Blackfeet Tribe from its inception in 1999 until his retirement in 2010. Started with a $25,000 investment, the corporation today has a yearly payroll approaching $2 million with five successful business endeavors and more than 100 tribal employees. The corporation earned the Harvard University Project Excellence Award for American Indian Economic Development in 2005. 

Mr. Kipp is a recipient of the Montana Governor’s Humanities Award for his work as a documentary filmmaker, writer, and language preservationist. The Montana Historical Society honored him in 2006 with the Trustee Award for Contributions to Montana History. He has an undergraduate degree from Eastern Montana College, a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a graduate degree from Harvard University.

Mr. Kipp resides on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana.