The Ah-Mut Pipa Foundation was founded in 1996 by five individuals who were concerned about the preservation of Native American culture and art. The Foundation is located on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation, a remnant of the ancestral home of the Quechan people. The Foundation is registered as a California Public Benefit non-profit corporation, and is considered as such to be exempt from taxes under California law. Also, the Foundation is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a non-profit entity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The mission of the Ah-Mut Pipa Foundation is to educate the Quechan community, the Tribes of California, and the general public, in order to increase understanding of Native American ethnohistory, culture, and art. The Foundation will maintain facilities for research, publication, instruction, performance art, film and television production. It is the intention of the Foundation to promote the history and culture of Native California through the voices of the people themselves, sharing Native American methods of storytelling and research that will enrich the lives of all people.