Spotlight on the Native Birthwork Movement featuring NAWDIM

Swaddle Blankets and Native Birthwork

Eighth Generation is rooted in activism and education. One of our core values is to support the visibility of and learning around the important issues that our Native community faces. In the past, we’ve partnered with organizations to create products that highlight the need for culturally-informed services for our incarcerated relatives (Never Say Goodbye Wool Blanket), that educate on health issues like Lupus and other autoimmune diseases (Hope Floats Silk Scarf), Native language revitalization efforts (Abundance Greeting Card Pack), and other issues. Our newest product line—Baby Swaddles—shines a spotlight on the lifesaving work that Indigenous birthworkers do to support the good health of Native babies, mothers, and families. (Note: Baby Swaddles will be available starting at 10am on Friday, March 14.)

One of the Star Journey Swaddle Blankets designed by Dr. Alayna Eagle Shield (Lakota, Dakota, Arikara), modeled by her husband and baby

This project began when Eighth Generation’s team had important conversations with Native birthworkers and health experts at Native American Women’s Dialogue on Infant Mortality (NAWDIM). We learned from them about the sobering statistics around Native mother and baby health, as well as the hopeful future outcomes our community is working towards to ensure safe pregnancies and births for Native families. These blankets were born of inspiration by the incredible work that Shelley Means, Leah Tanner, and Indigenous birthworkers have done throughout the centuries to advocate for the healthy pregnancies of Native women, safe deliveries of their babies, and thriving future of Native families. Following these conversations, we worked with two incredible artists—Monica Nuvamsa (Hopi-Tewa) and Dr. Alayna Eagle Shield (Hunkpapha Lakota, Isanyathi and Bdewakhanthunwan Dakota, Arikara)—to create two sets of Baby Swaddle Blankets that share cultural art and dialogue about healthcare.

“Shelley Means and Leah Tanner are most recent warriors in a line of concerned Indigenous women who have fought for birth justice in Native infant mortality health work. They have been working, volunteering, and teaching on this important issue for the past 25 years," says Colleen Echohawk (Pawnee, Athabascan), former CEO of Eighth Generation.

Shelley Means (Ojibwe, Lakota) and Leah Tanner (nimíipuu/Nez Perce), co-coordinators of NAWDIM for over 20 years

Leah Tanner (nimíipuu/Nez Perce) and Shelley Means (Ojibwe, Lakota) have co-coordinated NAWDIM for over 20 years. Leah is a longtime activist for Tribal sovereignty, treaty rights, and reproductive, social, and racial justice issues. She was hired as NAWDIM’s first community organizer in 2001 by the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation[i]. Shelley joined NAWDIM in 2003, and is an organizer, facilitator, and surviving twin who has been working in the social justice field for over 30 years on issues of triable sovereignty, sacred lands, climate justice, health equity, and Native philanthropy[ii].

The Incredible NAWDIM Organization

Beautiful beaded cradleboards and the inspirations behind our Star Journey Swaddle Blankets

NAWDIM is a Washington State based organization that was started in 2000 by concerned community leaders Emma Medicine Whitecrow, Iris Friday, Roxanne Finney, Claudia Kauffman, and allies Maria Carlos, Mayet Dalila, and Judith Vega. At its core, the organization addresses Native infant mortality. Their mission is to keep Native babies and their mothers not only safe, but thriving through holding a community that serves as a sacred place to gather, support, share knowledge, and set collective goals for achieving birth equity[iii]. Additionally, the organization is a collective of Native care providers, community members, grandmothers, and allies who provide advocacy, education, and support for Native and First Nation infants, mothers, and families in Washington State (read more about their approach on their website here).

NAWDIM really came together with the founding mothers and allies at Public Health Seattle and King County in 2000 when they saw some really alarming statistics. Our sisters in the Black and African community were looking at their data and saw our data was alarming too; they shared that data with us and let Native folks take ownership of this piece of the data findings, shares Leah.

NAWDIM's founding mothers then organized and shared this data and their concerns with the Director of King County Public Health. Due to their advocacy, they were able to secure funding for the organization’s first meeting[iv] to address the high rates of Native infant mortality and health complications.

Over 24 years, we've worked hard to listen carefully to state processes in the Department of Health and other organizations where they don't understand and don't see the data we’re concerned with. We connect with organizations like UW School of Social Work or others to advocate and educate potential allies in the things they need to change in their practices to meet their mission and work's purpose. NAWDIM is a collective, and we're continually gathering families, babies, parents, and community resources together, shares Shelley.

Part of the organization’s work is to reconnect Native families to the Indigenous cultural teachings about healthy birthing and childcare. This important education and reconnection lead NAWDIM to start their cradleboard workshops in 2003 and Baby Welcoming Ceremonies in 2016, both of which are still offered today.

The Importance of Community and Cultural Knowledge

Example of the cradleboard making process at NAWDIM’s cradleboard workshops, photo courtesy of NAWDIM

Current data from Public Health King County shows that there is a 1.92% mortality rate for Native American and First Nation infants in King County[v] alone. (For comparison, the general infant mortality rate for King County across all races is 0.3%). NAWDIM also highlights, that with Covid concerns, this percentage could be even higher. Similarly, the maternal mortality rate in the Native community is also high. Knowing this, NAWDIM holds cradleboard workshops as a way to build community and keep cultural practices thriving, giving Native families a safe space to connect and focus on something positive while also talking about the high mortality rate for Native infants and moms. “I didn’t want to talk to moms-to-be about the sad stuff, I wanted to talk to them about something hopeful. Cradleboards are something that can bring us together, they are the original safe sleep space for our families,” shares Leah, who comes from a traditional community where her grandmother, her mom, herself, and her five sons grew up in cradleboards.

Cradleboards are a culturally informed practice and communities all around the globe have ways to swaddle, wrap, and hold their babies. Tribes across the country have different ways of constructing cradleboards, but generally all consist of a nice firm surface where a baby can be swaddled and put in as a safe space for sleeping and hanging out. First, you swaddle the baby, and then lace them in to the cradleboard. They are not only calming for babies, but also calming for the mother and her community as they can all see the baby and the baby can watch what’s happening around them in their community.

The essence that we bring to the community with our cradleboard classes is: we're not here to show you how to make a thing, we're here to remind you that before colonization and hospitals, we had this knowledge, and that's our power. We're using our hands and turning our hearts into this work. These cradleboard classes are the direct way NAWDIM touches the lives of moms and babies, shares Shelley.

The organization has hosted countless in-person cradleboard classes over the past 22 years throughout the Washington region. All classes are open to Native American and First Nations people, and are not only for moms and parents, but for grandmas, aunties, and even school kids who want to learn this skill. NAWDIM partners with organizations, tribal clinics, and other direct service agencies to provide the space and meals for the workshop, while NAWDIM provides the materials and teachers. They bring pre-made kits that have components of leather and fabric to be hand sewn and assembled during the class, which is about 5 hours long. The workshop also facilitates conversations about babies, the community, and teachings about how to clear the mind and spirit as you sit down to do the sacred work of making a cradleboard. “The biggest impact of the cradleboard classes is community building and the most foundational thing we do is keep people in relationship with each other,” says Shelley.

Indigenous Birthworkers: A Nationwide Movement

Mom and baby, photo courtesy of NAWDIM

The work that Leah, Shelley, and NAWDIM do are part of a much larger movement happening across the country. "The Indigenous Birthworker Movement that is happening organically across the country right now is carrying the vision in their communities and coming together collectively to share knowledge about how we do this work together," shares Shelley. “Top-heavy structures aren't the way we operate: we're all equals, we all have a lot to contribute, we are all important at the table,” adds Leah

The Indigenous Birthworker Movement also works to add more Native people to community health panels to ensure that public health organizations and policies support their work. “It's really important to be in these spaces, even while they are challenging places to be. So many issues are impacting our families and relatives; if there's no voice for them, people will continue to hold on to racist notions,” Leah shares. “Allies need to see, need to believe that our community holds solutions. Our culture and our ancestors and our commitment to our future generations is where our responsibility is and where our solutions are,” Shelley adds. (We have provided at the bottom of this blog, a list of national resources that work in the Native Birthworker Movement).

The Need for More Native Infant and Mother Healthcare and Resources

Father Sun Baby Swaddle on the left designed by Monica; Blooming Medicine Swaddle Blanket on the right designed by Alayna

With the wonderful work NAWDIM does in advocacy and education, Eighth Generation is proud to offer our new Swaddle Blankets, which are designed by two Native women, both of whom work in Native advocacy and activism. We created these beautiful blankets to shine a critical light on the need for more equitable Native infant and mother healthcare and resources.

I want Native families to identify themselves with pride when they go into delivery rooms. When people go in, they need to feel "I am a Native family and parent” with pride, and all the providers need to see their Nativeness and consider all the things that might contribute to this Native family having a healthy outcome, shares Colleen.

Monica Nuvamsa promotes healthy families in our First Blessings Swaddle Blankets. Her swaddles share Hopi-Tewa designs and prayers for protection and wishes for a long and happy life, blanketing your baby in strength and purpose. Dr. Alayna Eagle Shield has has decorated her Star Journey Swaddle Blankets with Dakota florals, geometric designs, and other elements that adorn the treasured items she and her partner have made for their own children, including cradleboards. Each artist’s Swaddle Blankets come as a set of three and are the perfect way to wrap your baby in love. Our Swaddle Blankets will be available for sale at 10am on Friday, March 14 online and in store.

“We are wrapping them [Native babies] in connection to their ancestors,” shares Leah. While our Swaddle Blankets highlight the importance of cultural connections and equity for Native infants and mothers, they are meant for everyone, Native and non-Native alike. “It's about wrapping them in dreams and prayers and spirt that comes from community and the Earth. We are wrapping them in joy and hope,” says Shelley. You can read more about each Swaddle Blanket, the artist, and their designs on each product page, and be sure to check out NAWDIM’s website to learn about their lifesaving work.

Here's to happy, healthy Native families!