When the People’s Partner for Community Development embarked on a six-year mission to establish a credit union for the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, they found an invaluable partner in Clearwater Credit Union. The collaboration resulted in the successful launch of The Morning Star Federal Credit Union in May 2023, one of only four new credit unions chartered in the United States that year.
Living their core values
For Clearwater Credit Union, supporting The Morning Star wasn’t just about lending expertise; it was about embodying their core value of “Together, We Include.” The Northern Cheyenne community faced steep unemployment rates, poverty levels three times that of Montana, and some of the lowest homeownership rates in the nation, all while lacking access to local banking services.
“From training Morning Star team members on credit union operations to developing policies and procedures, to being on-site the first week The Morning Star opened, it has been a true honour helping The Morning Star Federal Credit Union establish a new credit union to empower their community,” said Jack Lawson, Clearwater President and CEO.
Comprehensive support
Clearwater’s commitment extended throughout the organisation. The partnership involved multiple departments and senior leadership, providing comprehensive training on everything from daily operations to regulatory compliance.
Maria Valandra, Clearwater’s Vice President of Community Partnerships and Indigenous Strategy, described the grand opening as a success, noting the honour of “bringing this vital banking resource to the community to support a common goal of financial inclusion.“
John De Groot, Clearwater’s Chief Financial Officer, found the project particularly inspiring. “The Lame Deer community decided to solve the problem themselves,” he observed.
“It was a true representation of the credit union movement of people helping people and empowering communities to help themselves.”
Bill St John, Senior Vice President of Consumer Banking, emphasised the significance of community-driven solutions. “It’s inspiring to see community members identify a need and take action. Forming this credit union was an enormous undertaking, and I’m happy for the Morning Star team.”
Ongoing partnership
Since its opening, The Morning Star has experienced steady membership growth, and the relationship with Clearwater continues as an ongoing support system. The partnership demonstrates how established credit unions can actively promote inclusion by sharing expertise and resources with emerging institutions.
Operating across Montana’s traditional Indigenous territories, Clearwater recognises that their support of The Morning Star represents a meaningful way of honouring Indigenous sovereignty and supporting community self-determination. The successful partnership establishes a model for how financial institutions can champion financial inclusion and community empowerment.
For Clearwater Credit Union, helping launch The Morning Star Federal Credit Union represents the cooperative spirit that defines the credit union movement, extending the principle of “people helping people” beyond individual members to entire communities that need it most.
Source: Clearwater Credit Union
