Repro Roundup: Native Americans/Indigenous people overwhelmingly support abortion, according to first-of-its-kind study

Welcome to my column, The Repro Roundup, in which I summarize abortion news happening around the country, why it matters, and what you can do about it — in 250 words or less.

What’s the issue? On October 26, Strong Families New Mexico released the first every study of Native American/Indigenous thoughts and values on reproductive health, rights, and justice. The study found that “89 percent of Native Americans agree that women and families deserve to make their own healthcare decisions without government interference. Seventy-two percent say that they can hold their own moral views about abortion and still trust a woman and her family to make this decision for themselves.”

“The voices and experiences of Native communities are missing from federal, state and local conversations about reproductive health,” said Adriann Barboa, policy director of Strong Families New Mexico, one of the organizations behind the research. “Native Americans believe in the reproductive justice values of self-determination and body sovereignty, respect in healthcare decision making, and reproductive healthcare access for all people. They deserve a Supreme Court that’s not in conflict with their values.”

Why does this matter? Indigenous justice is reproductive justice. In some Indigenous cultures, people practiced reproductive care that included inducing abortions and midwifery. Colonialization and Christian hegemony have radically altered mainstream perception of abortion but clearly many Native cultures and communities remain pro-abortion. Given the current political landscape, the right to legal abortion remains tenuous and the end of legal abortion will hurt already marginalized communities hardest, including Native American ones. In New Mexico, the state where the survey took place, abortion will remain accessible but without clear legal protection. Because the state does have a pre-Roe abortion ban on the books, it could theoretically enforce it to make abortion inaccessible.

What action can I take?

• Read the full study by Strong Families New Mexico
• Donate to Indigenous Women Rising, an advocacy and storytelling organization that funds abortion for Indigenous people across the country, provides midwives to pregnant people, and gives comprehensive and culturally competent sex education
• Learn more about the failings of the Indian Health Services for Indigenous women, especially when it comes to sexual assault and abortion
• Read about the impact of racism on Native American’s sexual and reproductive health from Carafem, an independent abortion provider
• Learn more about the New Mexico laws on abortion and what would happen to abortion in the state if Roe fell through the Center for Reproductive Rights

• Subscribe to The Repro Queen of DC, my monthly newsletter on abortion access, activism, and writing on the frontlines of DC.
• Subscribe to Repro 101, a seven-week educational email series about all things repro. Topics include the basics of funding abortion, clinic escorting, anti-choice violence, and more.
• Read more of my work, browse the services I offer, and more.
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