SEATTLE—In an open letter this week, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services (HIFS) joined Indigenous maternal health professionals, advocates and allies to call on the March of Dimes to re-issue their recent statement with an explicit and accurate mention of the American Indian and Alaska Natives’ (AIAN) maternal mortality rate.
“Seemingly small nuances in how our data are discussed have large ripple effects in the visibility of the Indigenous maternal health crisis,” said Camie Goldhammer (Sisíthuŋwaŋ-Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ Oyáte), Hummingbird’s founding executive director. “Statements from influential national organizations are a critical vehicle for translating our communities' data into public visibility, narrative, and action.”
American Indian and Alaska Natives (AIAN) experience the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation, according to the most recent years’ data reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the March of Dimes. Furthermore, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) face the highest maternal mortality rates, alongside the AIAN and Black communities.
Yet, a recent statement issued by the March of Dimes minimizes the most marginalized Indigenous peoples’ experiences.
“In omitting the Indigenous population rate from the highlighted comparison between Black and White mothers and failing to explain that AIAN and NHPI maternal mortality are among the highest in the nation, the March of Dimes quietly minimizes the severity of the crisis affecting Indigenous mothers,” Goldhammer said.
Hummingbird’s Director of Data Sovereignty, Tess Abrahamson-Richards (Spokane Tribe) added, “Representation in national data influences how resources are allocated, how policies are shaped, and ultimately whether prevention efforts reach the communities most affected. We have observed an ongoing pattern of erasure for far too long amidst devastating losses of birthing people in our communities. The time is right to use the improved data at our fingertips in service of better futures for mothers and families. We call on all partners, working within and reporting on maternal health, to improve Indigenous data reporting systems and practices and to reframe their messaging surrounding their own AIAN and NHPI data across institutions.”
The open letter reflects the joint efforts of Indigenous maternal health advocates from across the United States.
Hummingbird IFS will be hosting a maternal mortality Town Hall focusing on the recent Washington State maternal mortality data report, 6pm on April 28, at the Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center.
ABOUT HUMMINGBIRD INDIGENOUS FAMILY SERVICES
Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services began in 2019 with the mission of healthy Indigenous babies being born into healthy Indigenous families being supported by healthy Indigenous communities. Hummingbird is the first and only Indigenous agency in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties to exclusively serve Indigenous babies and families from zero to three and serve those who identify as Native American, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander.
