in an inability for urban Indians to obtain treatment anywhere. Leach served as the chair of the Bay Area Indian Council's health and welfare section. In 1964, the Council formed a successful partnership with Pacific Hospital to initiate the first children's and "well-baby" clinic directed to American Indians in the area, known as the All-Indian Well Baby Clinic. In January 1968, as chair of the health and welfare division, Leach met with Senators Paul Fannin (Republican) and Robert F. Kennedy (Democrat) at the American Indian Center to discuss a series of issues including insufficient relocation allowances, insufficient medical funding, inadequate educational opportunities, and difficulties with draft registration. She was concerned about veterans issues, as five of her six children had served in the Vietnam War. Shortly after the meeting, in May, Leach and her children began receiving racist and threatening calls at their residence near Mills College. Their home was broken into and vandalized, and their rent was quadrupled, when their neighbors and landlord realized they were American Indians. Senator Kennedy sent aides to stay in the house overnight, as the property doors had been removed. Initially, the Leach family intended to remain in their home, but as tension continued, they moved to the East Bay area. Leach joined her son David, who was in the November 20 landing party for the Occupation of Alcatraz, on November 22, 1969. Her sons David and Gary Leach, both veterans, were participants in the standoff. She set up and directed the health clinic on Alcatraz Island and was assisted by Jennie R. Joe (Navajo) and Dorothy Lonewolf Miller (Blackfoot), as nurses, and Robert Brennan and Richard Fine, as doctors. Leach's employer, Dr. Tepper allowed her to stay on the island for three months and volunteered his services once a week. After Richard Oakes (Mohawk) left the island, Leach was one of the seven representatives selected as members of the board of directors for the Indians of All Tribes and was a spokesperson for the board. The goals of the council were to establish a Native American center on Alcatraz to promote cultural study, as well as training in spiritual and ecological matters from an indigenous perspective. Leach stressed the importance of American Indians being able to determine their own future. In 1970, Leach also participated in the founding of the National Indian Women's Action Corps, an empowerment organization for Native American women. The