SPOKANE, Wash. – Fourteen partner programs of the Native American Outreach Center of the Parents Speak Up National Campaign were honored Dec. 7 at the Native Project in Spokane, where a custom, limited edition Coming of Age campaign Pendleton blanket was unveiled.

Partner organizations agree to conduct parent workshops or use Parent Speak Up materials in their programs and qualify to receive up to five blankets each to use in campaign outreach activities. The limited edition blanket will continue to be awarded to programs that work to help parents of teens and pre-teens become comfortable in sharing their values with their children about delaying sexual activity.

The Coming of Age blanket is based on a painting by internationally acclaimed Blackfeet painter Terrance Guardipee and depicts a Blackfeet Medicine Paint ceremony. The ceremony is an integral part of the Blackfeet culture in the development of youth as they mature into adulthood.

To date, eight Northwest-area programs have signed agreements to become campaign partners including the American Indian Community Center, Kalispel Tribe Malye’ es ?iyal Program, Lapwai Public Schools, Lummi Indian Business Council, TANF Family Intervention, Nez Perce Education Department, SHAWL (Sovereignty, Health, Air, Water, Land) Society, Spokane Tribal TANF and the Native Project.

Other current partners include Denver Indian Health & Family Services Inc., Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Navajo Nation Health Education Programs, Norton Sound Health Corporation Public Health Nursing (Nome, Alaska), Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo Indian Child Welfare Association Program (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, formerly San Juan Pueblo, N.M.) and the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Fatherhood Program. Additional programs are expected to sign partnership agreements.

PSUNC is a program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Outreach Center, operated by American Indian-owned Kauffman & Associates, Inc., for the past four years has provided training and technical assistance that uses culturally appropriate themes and materials to deliver the PSUNC message. However, KAI’s direct involvement with the campaign will be winding down because of campaign budget reductions at HHS.

More information is available at (509) 789-2670 or shareyourvision@kauffmaninc.org.