Local woman wins National Red Ribbon Award

PABLO — The National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC) is pleased to announce that Niki Webster Graham is the 2011 recipient of the Honoring the Red Ribbon Award.

Mrs. Graham is the Prevention Programs Director for the Center for Prevention and Wellness at Salish Kootenai College. She has created programs on a rural reservation and through a Tribal college that now stand as examples of best practices and culturally relevant programming.

What began on the Flathead Indian Reservation has grown, and Mrs. Graham is now conducting trainings and workshops across the region, working with other Tribal colleges across the country to develop local HIV prevention programs and sharing her knowledge and expertise at national conferences.

NNAAPC recognizes the work of a single Native person each year with this award. This award was created and is given in honor and memory of Marty Lynn Prairie (1958-2001, Lakota). Marty was a longtime friend and ally of NNAAPC who, through his tireless commitment to HIV/AIDS education and prevention in Indian Country and throughout the United States, became a well-known HIV and harm reduction advocate. Marty’s commitment to action, his strong voice and his fearless leadership within the Native community inspired NNAAPC to honor his legacy by annually presenting an award to a leader in the Native community who demonstrates similar attributes in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The call for nominees went out June of this year, and NNAAPC was excited at the size and quality of the nominee pool. This is just further evidence of the level of effective programming being designed and carried out by Native people across this country in response to the growing HIV epidemic.

A reception in Mrs. Graham’s honor will be held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago, Ill. on Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m., in the Michigan A room. This reception will be held in conjunction with the U.S. Conference on AIDS, and all are welcome to join us in honoring Niki Webster Graham for her dedication to HIV prevention and for promoting health and wellness among Native peoples.