"A lot of us were also just concerned about the way that we would be treated, and some of our concerns of pain or our birth plans within a hospital setting, Sherbick said."
"Being able to have an Alaskan Native birth worker who could provide an Indigenous perspective was deeply meaningful and centered in sovereignty, she added."
"Participants received ingredients rooted in Indigenous knowledge, including yellow dock root, nettle leaf and red raspberry, to make herbal teas and infusions."
"I can control even the potency of it, Sherbick said. I used the herbal iron syrup quite a bit because I was already anemic. That really helped."
Mary Sherbick discovered her pregnancy during the pandemic, which heightened her anxiety and isolation. She joined online talking circles for Alaska Native women organized by the Alaska Native Birthworkers Community. Sherbick expressed concerns about treatment in hospital settings, reflecting on the historical mistreatment of Indigenous women. Lacking family support, she sought connection to her Yupik culture. The presence of an Alaska Native birth worker provided meaningful support. She participated in workshops on prenatal plant medicine, using herbal remedies to manage her anemia during pregnancy.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]