In the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of Indigenous women in the United States were sterilized, many without full and informed consent. New reporting has shown how these procedures were not isolated incidents but part of broader patterns of reproductive control that continue to shape outcomes in Native communities. "Birth Justice” is based on a two-part reporting series by journalist and 2024 National Fellow Suzette Brewer, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, published on The Imprint and produced in partnership with the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism. Drawing on years of reporting, the series examines how these practices were carried out and the lasting impact on maternal health, access to care, and trust in medical institutions among Native communities. Across Indian Country, Indigenous midwives, doulas, and advocates are now leading a growing birth justice movement. Watch the video and read the full "Birth Justice" series to understand the history, its ongoing consequences, and the work underway to change it.
