A Native American woman recently celebrated the arrival of her sixth child at the Standing Rock camp, a focal point for protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Her story beautifully highlights the resilience of her spirit and the cause she champions alongside her community.
The Dakota Access Pipeline, a monumental project valued at $3.7 billion, poses a significant threat to sacred Native lands and water resources. Activists assert that the pipeline jeopardizes burial sites, prayer locations, and culturally significant artifacts, as emphasized by the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. Protests have persisted in North Dakota for months, aiming to halt a construction project that stretches from the oil-rich Bakken Formation into multiple states, including South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois. Amidst this turmoil, one mother prepared for the birth of her baby, her sixth, and ultimately gave birth right at the camp.
On October 12th, in a family tipi at one of the “water protector” camps, a woman named Aiyana Bluebird welcomed her daughter, whom she named Aqua Vita, meaning “water is life.” This name holds profound significance, reflecting her tribe’s ongoing fight for water rights. Aiyana shared, “I gave birth to her on my own,” aligning with Lakota traditions that encourage solitary births. While her husband and family were nearby, she embraced the sacredness of that moment alone. “The space in which we give birth is sacred,” she remarked, acknowledging the deep cultural roots in this practice.
Her other children, ages three to thirteen, were born at home with a midwife, making Aqua Vita’s delivery the first that was entirely her own. Although Aiyana’s husband, Taye, woke shortly after the birth, she felt empowered by the experience. “Having children is my act of resistance; our rights as Native women have faced erosion in so many ways,” Aiyana stated, recalling a painful history of forced sterilization and cultural assimilation.
Throughout the protests, Aiyana has focused on her children’s education. While she refrained from engaging in frontline demonstrations, she wanted her kids to experience camp life and participate in traditional ceremonies. Until the final stages of her pregnancy, she kept her news private, adhering to cultural practices of “guarding” new life. She sought guidance from her sisters, one a midwife and the other a doula, and took charge of her prenatal care, even tracking the baby’s heart rate and conducting blood screenings.
Despite encouragement from tribal EMTs to give birth in a hospital, Aiyana firmly insisted, “I will give birth where I choose. It’s not for anyone else to dictate my choices.” While she kept a walkie-talkie nearby for safety, she ultimately turned it off, wanting a calm environment during her delivery. Her commitment to home births is strong, and she believes the knowledge surrounding childbirth should be accessible to all women. “We need to break free from the idea that this wisdom comes at a price; it belongs to all women,” she expressed passionately.
As Aiyana reflected on the significance of her daughter’s birth, she noted, “I was convinced I was having a boy, but her arrival as a girl is deeply meaningful.” Following tradition, Aqua’s placenta was buried at the camp, ensuring that she knows her origins and the strength of the women who came before her. “I felt the presence of strong spirits with us during her birth,” Aiyana shared, highlighting the deep connection between her family and their heritage.
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In summary, Aiyana Bluebird’s powerful journey mirrors the indomitable spirit of her people as they fight for their rights and protect their heritage, all while embracing the beauty of new life.