HIFS Pilimakua & FOCS Indigenous Parents Group

About Program

Through a partnership with Families of Color Seattle (FOCS), we have an Indigenous Parents Group that meets in-person in King County, WA twice per month. At each Indigenous Parents Group, we have dinner, do an Indigenous Language & Culture project together, and talk and connect with each other.

Who can attend?

In order to attend a HIFS Pilimakua & FOCS Indigenous Parents Group, a parent/caregiver must:

Be pregnant or have a child under 5 years old
Identify as AmericanI ndian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and/or Pacific Islander
Live in King, Pierce, or South Snohomish County

Our HIFS Pilimakua & FOCS Indigenous Parents Groups look like…

If you attend our HIFS Pilimakua & Families of Color Seattle Indigenous Parents Group, here is what you can expect:
Connecting with other Indigenous Families
Indigenous Parents Group facilitators to help you connect with others
An activity, craft, or project tied to our Indigenous Cultures and/or languages
Dinner
Opportunities to connect to our other programs & services
Some Gas Gift Cards, available at a first-come, first-serve basis
Some activities we’ve done with parents and families so far:
Ribbon skirt/shirt making
Drum & Ipu making
Planting tobacco starters
Cedar & Lauhala weaving

Tentative 2025 Schedule for HIFS Pilimakua & FOCS Indigenous Parents Group

All dates & themes of our Indigenous Parents Groups are tentative, you can see updated details including location on our Facebook & Instagram accounts!

January - Traditional Plant Medicines
January 15th
January 29th
February - Indigenous Language Books/Literacy
February 12th
February 26th
March - Regalia Making
March 12th
March 26th
April - Traditional Dance
April 9th
April 23rd
May - Traditional Plants
May 14th
May 28th
June - Indigenous Shirts, Skirts, and Shorts for Children 0-5 Years Old
June 11th
June 25th
August - Traditional Teachings of Nature (Outdoors)
August 13th
August 27th
September - Cattail & Lauhala Weaving
September 10th
September 24th
October - Screen Printing & Traditional Stamping
October 8th
October 22nd
November - Drum & Ipu Making
November 12th
Interested in attending? We post regular updates on upcoming Indigenous Parents Groups on Facebook & Instagram (RSVP may be required)
Follow Us on Instagram and Facebook
*You do not need to be enrolled in any other Hummingbird programs to attend*

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my child with me?

Of course! Almost all of our parents that come bring their children, but it is not a requirement. We have the children stay in the same room as us to keep as many eyes on them as possible since we do not have a formal childcare provider. We do have lots of age-appropriate (and cute) toys and often a child-friendly version of our parents group activity.

Can my non-Indigenous partner/co-parent/spouse/other family members come?

Yes! The more, the merrier! While this group is specifically designed for Indigenous Parents, we never want to leave out anyone in the family. Please have them come with you!

Do I need to talk during the Indigenous Parents Group?

While the purpose is to connect, we never force anyone to talk. At the beginning, we will do an introduction with a check-in question, but participants are always welcome to pass.

Is there transportation support?

We do offer some gas gift cards at each Indigenous Parents Group that are a first-come, first-serve basis. When you get to the parents group, just ask a Pilimakua Staff Member for a gas gift card and we will sign one out to your family.

What if my child or I have allergies or dietary restrictions? Can they be accommodated for dinner?

We try to balance all the known-allergies/dietary restrictions of those that come frequently, such as dairy-free, gluten-free, and nut-free options. However, if you have a specific allergy or dietary restriction and are going to come, please let us know by emailing pilimakuaevents@hummingbird-ifs.org.

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