HELENA, Mont. – Efforts by the Montana Association of Credit Unions to advance the economic well being of Native Americans in the state through the American Indian Homeownership Campaign has been recognized by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corp. Using funding provided by MACU's First Account Program, along with Rural Development and the Fannie Mae Foundation, the Montana Homeownership Network was able to produce a series of television and radio commercials and broadcast them in markets reaching American Indian Reservations. The purpose of the campaign was to encourage American Indians on reservations to learn more about home ownership options and to create interest in tribal housing authorities to develop active homeownership programs. The four television and radio commercials that were produced and aired across the state over a three-month period, used experienced Native American actors from three Montana tribes. The commercials were produced on the Flathead Indian Reservation by the Salish-Kootenai production studies. As a result of these efforts, 26 loans have been closed on American Indian reservations since Jan. 1, 2004.