About BLING
The mission of Believing In Native Generations is to improve the health and well-being of American Indians and Alaska Natives across the lifespan.
Believing In Native Girls (BLING) started as a program for adolescent American Indian girls living in a residential boarding school. For seven years, Believing In Native Girls provided weekly classes and teaching programs to about 75 girls annually, with a focus on building protective factors to reduce the risks for suicide, partner violence and sexually transmitted infections. During that time, the program served over 500 girls.
BLING also offered campus wide events for everyone at the school. Boys and girls ages 12 to 20 participated in the annual RISE! Conference (Riverside Indian Students Empowered!) as well as activities to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and suicide prevention.
To commemorate the plight of American Indians and HIV, BLING worked with the City of Anadarko to proclaim March 21, 2012 and March 20,2013 as National Native American AIDS/HIV Awareness Day.
In 2012, BLING reached out to volunteers across the U.S. to recruit financial sponsors for American Indian students attending a residential boarding school and without any financial support from home, tribe, or community. Since that time, over 100 volunteers have helped over 200 American Indian youth through a financial scholarship program.
In 2013, the program name changed to Believing in Native Generations to expand programming to American Indians of all ages.
News & Events
2016 Student Risk Assessments at Riverside Indian School are underway.
2016- BLiNG is awarded $10,000 from NIKE to support the athletic program at Riverside Indian School.
2016- WalMart supports the Riverside Community with $2000 for personal hygiene products.
