Taos Pueblo Doula Aspen Mirabal joins us for a conversation about birth equity, decolonizing birthing spaces, and supporting our birthing relatives. She shares her journey in birth work and talks about the unique role of doulas in re-matriating cultural traditions and ancestral birthing practices.
Aspen Mirabal is the eldest of three daughters from Taos Pueblo. Aspen currently resides in Taos, but spends most of her days on the Pueblo. Professionally, Aspen is a trained and certified birth keeper for Northern New Mexico, serving Native and non-Native families as a community-based doula. Aspen is a student midwife with the desire to provide access to Indigenous midwifery care while reintroducing the ritualistic customs of full-spectrum birth work to her community of Taos Pueblo. You may find Aspen working as a Family Support Specialist with Tiwa Babies Home Visiting Program, serving all of Taos County Monday through Friday, or after hours representing the New Mexico Doula Association— or of course, at a birth.
Resources:
Tewa Women United: https://tewawomenunited.org/
Yiya-vi-kagingdi Doula-Project: https://tewawomenunited.org/yiya-vi-kagingdi-doula-project
Changing Woman Initiative: http://www.changingwomaninitiative.com/
Center for Indigenous Midwifery: https://www.indigenous-midwifery.org/
Tiwa Babies Home Visiting Program: https://www.taosnews.com/news/tiwa-babies-home-visiting-program-empowers-young-taos-families/article_f1348ca9-9cda-5b71-ba1e-409ef0e30b23.html
Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective Live with Indigenous Lactation Consultants Camie Jae Goldhammer and Kim Moore-Salas: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=227110242524474&id=104293154
Taos Chapter of the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force: https://breastfeedingnm.org/taos/
National Native Children’s Trauma Center: https://www.nnctc.org/contact
Interested in Midwifery and Birthwork? Reach out to Aspen: milk.earth.blood@gmail.com
Instagram: @milk.earth.blood
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Indigenae theme song: “Nothing Can Kill My Love For You” by Semiah
Instagram: @semiah.smith
Find her on Youtube, Spotify, Amazon Music, and Apple Music.