Native Breastfeeding Week - Supporting the Journey Through Infant Feeding

Native Breastfeeding Week takes place the second week of National Breastfeeding Month and is a time to honor, encourage, support, and make visible Natives' experience with infant feeding. This year's theme is "Strong, Resilient, Latched." According to their Facebook page, the community "hopes to address the inequity and injustice of Indigenous parents and their abilities to practice their roles in accordance to the tribal communities they descend from." You can learn more about the Native Breastfeeding Week Creation story and meet this year’s team behind the scenes in this recorded video.

Throughout the week, there are virtual community events each day, all of which can be found on the Native Breastfeeding Week Facebook page. Families may be interested in the following events, all of which can be found on the Facebook page:

• Wednesday, August 12: Fierce Aunties Circle for Non-Parent Caregivers
• Thursday, August 13: Milk-Sharing is Not Wet-Nursing Support Circle
• Friday, August 14: Chestfeeding and Non-Binary Nursing Circle
• Virtual 5K Wellness Run/Walk/Move
• Sunrise ceremonies each morning

T-shirts with this year's artwork, designed by artist Autumn Gomez, can be purchased before August 13. Proceeds go back to the organization. Learn more about the design here. 

While the event only takes place for one week, it's important for Native parents to have resources all year long! Check out these helpful resources and share them with your community:

Indigenous Women Rising

Blog 

Facebook Page

Indian Health Service

General breastfeeding information 

Family and Child Education

Indigenous Breastfeeding 

An Easy Guide to Breastfeeding for American Indian and Alaska Native Families

La Leche League

Native Breastfeeding Week: Restoring Indigenous Breastfeeding In My Family Lineage

Published: August 12, 2020

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