PBPN received a multi-year “Good Health and Wellness in Indian Country” grant for $150,000 through the Southern Plains Tribal Health Board and Oklahoma Area Tribal Epidemiology Center in order to address inequities and disparities in breastfeeding rates in the Indigenous community.  The PBPN plans to invest in Indigenous lactation workforce development, increase access to Indigenous breastfeeding peer support, and improve the quality of data related to Indigenous infant feeding practices.

Breastmilk is a traditional first food and medicine among Indigenous communities throughout history.  Unfortunately, current breastfeeding data shows only 80% of Indigenous families in Kansas initiate breastfeeding which is a stark contrast to Kansas’ breastfeeding initiation average of nearly 90%.  We celebrate alongside the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and look forward to a time when breastfeeding is restored as a traditional first food.