Reconectando con la sabiduría de las tías: Cultivando caminos indígenas de acompañamiento por doulas para la justicia en el nacimiento y la sanación comunitaria
Teresa Abrahamson-Richards, MichaeLynn Kanichy, Glenda Abbott, Penny Spencer
Volume 26, Number 1 (2026) 26 (1): 62–82
Palabras clave comunidades indígenas de Washington, doula, salud materna indígena, acceso a la atención médica
Resumen
Las doulas indígenas protegen y transmiten conocimientos ancestrales sobre el nacimiento y la salud reproductiva, y fomentan espacios seguros de parto para las personas y comunidades indígenas. Este artículo presenta los hallazgos de un estudio de métodos mixtos, integrado en la comunidad, sobre la Iniciativa de Mentoría Responsiva para Doulas Indígenas (Indigenous Responsive Mentorship Doula Initiative) en el noroeste de los Estados Unidos. Las autoras presentan el marco de formación de doulas indígenas Sabiduría de las tías, destacando el crecimiento y la sanación tradicional que las doulas experimentaron durante esta iniciativa de formación, representados por el cedro (conocimiento), la hierba dulce o sweetgrass (conexión) y la salvia (defensa y promoción de derechos). La iniciativa preparó con éxito a las doulas para brindar apoyo durante el nacimiento, defender y acompañar a sus clientes, y contribuir colectivamente a la sanación comunitaria y a la construcción de futuros para sus pueblos. Los resultados indican la necesidad de destinar recursos adicionales para apoyar el trabajo de las doulas indígenas liderado por las propias comunidades y el desarrollo de centros físicos de justicia para el nacimiento, especialmente en comunidades tribales rurales.
Teresa Abrahamson-Richards
MichaeLynn Kanichy
Glenda Abbott
Penny Spencer
Publicado junio 18, 2026
Esta obra está bajo una licencia internacional Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 4.0.
Calliou, Brian. “Wise Practices in Indigenous Community Economic Development.” Inditerra Rev. Int. Sur L’autochtonie 4 (2012): 14-26.
Cidro, Jaime, Caroline Doenmez, Stephanie Sinclair, Alexandra Nychuk, Larissa Wodtke, and Ashley Hayward. “Putting Them on a Strong Spiritual Path: Indigenous Doulas Responding to the Needs of Indigenous Mothers and Communities.” International Journal for Equity in Health 20, no. 1 (2021): 189.
Corcoran, Patricia M., Christine Catling, and Caroline S.E. Homer. “Models of Midwifery Care for Indigenous Women and Babies: A Meta-Synthesis.” Women and Birth 30, no. 1 (2017): 77-86.
Doenmez, Caroline Fidan Tyler, Jaime Cidro, Stephanie Sinclair, Ashley Hayward, Larissa Wodtke, and Alexandra Nychuk. “Heart Work: Indigenous Doulas Responding to Challenges of Western Systems and Revitalizing Indigenous Birthing Care in Canada.” BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 22, no. 1 (2022): 41.
Goldhammer, Camie Jae. Washington State Indigenous Perinatal Status Report. Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services, September 2024. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MZgDb6MJbGuqKl01rdc7pAsKU4pGc0Hc/view
Ireland, Sarah, Ruth Montgomery-Andersen, and Sadie Geraghty. “Indigenous Doulas: A Literature Review Exploring Their Role and Practice in Western Maternity Care.” Midwifery 75 (2019): 52-58.
Kozhimannil, Katy B. “Indigenous Maternal Health—A Crisis Demanding Attention.” In JAMA Health Forum 1, no. 5 (2020): e200517-e200517. American Medical Association.
Maloney, Shannon I., Regina Idoate, Mona Zuffante et al. “Foundational Features of Indigenous Pregnancy Care: Lessons Learned from Indigenous Pregnancy Care Providers.” Midwifery 135 (2024): 104025.
Moyer, Natalie, Chelsea Wesner, Michelle Sarche et al. A Braided Approach to Understanding Home Visiting in Indigenous Communities. OPRE Report no. 2024-366. Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024. Accessed December 12, 2025. https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/opre/opre-braiding-research-approaches-dec24-correctedcitation.pdf
Oré, Ms Christina E., Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone, and Ms Tara M. Chico-Jarillo. “American Indian and Alaska Native Resilience Along the Life Course and Across Generations: A Literature Review.” American Indian and Alaska Native Mental Health Research (Online) 23, no. 3 (2016): 134-157.
Stiffarm, Amy. Cultural Safety Practices for Working with Indigenous Birth Givers in Montana. Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies – The Montana Coalition, July 2023. Accessed December 8, 2025. https://hmhb-mt.org/native-american-initiatives/
Ullrich, Jessica Saniguq. “For the Love of Our Children: An Indigenous Connectedness Framework.” AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples 15, no. 2 (2019): 121-130.
Walters, Karina L., Michelle Johnson-Jennings, Sandra Stroud et al. “Growing from Our Roots: Strategies for Developing Culturally Grounded Health Promotion Interventions in American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Communities.” Prevention Science 21, no. Suppl 1 (2020): 54-64.
Warne, Donald. “Walking Through Truth: Indigenous Wisdom and Community Health Equity.” Stanford Social Innovation Review, July 26, 2023. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/walking_through_truth_indigenous_wisdom_and_community_health_equity
Washington State Department of Health. Washington State Maternal Mortality Review Panel: Maternal Deaths 2021–2022. Olympia: Washington State Department of Health, December 2025. Publication no. 141-253. Accessed December 29, 2025. https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/141-253-MaternalMortalityReviewPanelReport-2025.pdf
“Wise Practices for Life Promotion: Indigenous Leadership for Living Life Well.” Wise Practices. Accessed January 3, 2026. https://wisepractices.ca/
Wodtke, Larissa, Ashley Hayward, Alexandra Nychuk, Caroline Doenmez, Stephanie Sinclair, and Jaime Cidro. “The Need for Sustainable Funding for Indigenous Doula Services in Canada.” Women’s Health 18 (2022): 17455057221093928.
También puede Iniciar una búsqueda de similitud avanzada para este artículo.
