Strength, Care, Resilience: NM Birth & Reproductive Justice Birth Summit

Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we carry out our birth and reproductive justice work in service to our families and communities. Doulas haven’t been able to go inside of hospitals, we’re using telehealth technologies, and there is new territory to navigate in service delivery. 

Despite the barriers and challenges our community has faced this past year, there are also causes for celebration. Many organizations have had massive impact during this pandemic time, including passing state legislation SB 10 to protect abortion rights, convening to provide policymakers with recommendations on how birth workers and reproductive justice advocates can continue to be supported, and continuing and pivoting programming in response to the emergent needs of our communities.

The TWU Indigenous Women’s Health and Reproductive Justice team is honored to take the lead on organizing a virtual Birth & Reproductive Justice Summit, August 6 – 8, 2021. The Summit will bring together a diverse group of New Mexico organizations doing courageous work in reproductive justice. Our goal is to gather doulas, midwives, funders, state and tribal leaders, and ally organizations to build on the work we are each doing, and to learn how we can do it together in a holistic way. 

Utilizing concepts from the book Emergent Strategy by Adrienne Marie Brown, we will engage in deep-dive conversations on the interdependence of our roles, and will identify the systems and frameworks that no longer work so that we can make holistic and emergent steps forward.

Featured speakers include:

• Beata Tsosie-Peña (Tewa Women United)
• Adriann Barboa (Strong Families New Mexico)
• Marinah Farrell (Changing Woman Initiative)
• Melissa Lopez (New Mexico Doula Association)
• Nicole Martin (Indigenous Women Rising)
• Sunshine Muse (New Mexico Birth Equity Collaborative)
• Amanda Singer (Navajo Nation Breastfeeding Coalition)
• and more — see full list of speakers here.

Throughout the Summit we’ll be gifted with poetry and music from beloved community members, including a special performance by Indigie Femme.

We are grateful to the Brindle Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for making this Summit possible.

This online Summit is free and open to all New Mexicans. As of August 1, the Summit is full and registration has been closed. We will be recording selected Summit sessions and will let you know as these recordings are made available.