Aboriginal women in Australia have a long history of freestanding, physiological birth within a traditional culture whose beliefs and medicines are far from the comprehension of colonizers, settlers, and patriarchal industrial culture at large. Aboriginal women have knowledge about their bodies and self-care and should be respected for that knowlege. These women are being forced by authorities to travel to urban centers during late pregnancy and be subject to industrial medicines obstetric model of birth - despite their desire to stay in their homeland within a strong culture that supports the normality of birth in women of good health. For this reason, Aboriginal women are hiding their pregnancies and experiencing fear and anxiety about harassment from authorities. The denial of traditional birthing practices is a pivotal measure employed to destabilize and subvert a culture by colonizers, as is the trafficking of native children (called adoption) and the forced schooling of these children where their native language and cultural roots are denied. The primal imprint of birthing on country provides a strong unassailable sense of belonging. This is culture. This is the law/lore. This is the power of women. And this is the first line of attack that aboriginal people have been subjected to. Restoring it is justice for these women who have been so wronged. WoLF stands in solidarity with womens reproductive autonomy, womens knowledge and self-care of our bodies, and the power of traditional womens teachings related to midwifery/self-midwifery, and birth & postpartum support (aka doula skills). womensliberationfront.org
Posted on: Sun, 07 Dec 2014 00:41:58 +0000
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