American Indian Motherhood and Historical Trauma: Keetoowah Experiences of Becoming Mothers

Abstract

Background: American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) women disproportionally experience postpartum depression in the United States as compared to the rest of the population. Despite being disproportionately represented, the current body of knowledge lacks research on depression in this particular population. Specifically, the current literature lacks research pertaining to the experiences of postpartum AI/AN women, their culture, birthing and mothering expectations, and trauma. This qualitative study used the theories of becoming a mother, historical-trauma framework, and reproductive justice as they relate to Indigenous women’s personal and historical trauma to assess their lived experiences of becoming a mother. Methods: Keetoowah mothers (N = 8) were interviewed by using a story inquiry method to understand the perinatal experiences of members of one Indigenous tribe in the US. Findings: The story inquiry coding resulted in two main themes, namely maternal mental health challenges and inadequacies of perinatal care. Conclusion: The subthemes illuminate the intersection of historical trauma and the perinatal experience, continued colonization of mothering, and the resilience of tribal culture during the postpartum period. Implications include advocacy for increasing culturally derived perinatal interventions, increased healthcare coverage of culturally appropriate birthing practices, and future research evaluating the correlation between historical trauma and maternal mental health challenges.