Indigenous Milk Medicine Week 2025: Unapologetically Indigenous - Love, Landback & Liberation

Hey beautiful,

You know that feeling when you're scrolling through your feed and something stops you cold? Makes you put your phone down and actually think?

That's what happened to me when I saw this year's Indigenous Milk Medicine Week theme: Unapologetically Indigenous: Love, Landback & Liberation.

I've been sitting with this for weeks now. This week (August 8-14) isn't just another awareness week that comes and goes.

It's about stories that need telling. Traditions that almost got lost. Mothers who are rebuilding something sacred while juggling everything else life throws at them.

If you're Indigenous, I want you to know: what you're doing matters more than you might realize on the hard days.

And if you're here learning alongside me? Thank you for staying curious instead of comfortable.

Here's what I know after talking with thousands of moms: every feeding journey has layers. But Indigenous mothers? They're carrying the weight of history while creating the future, one feeding at a time.

It's like being asked to build a bridge while you're still standing on it.

Let's Talk About What Indigenous Milk Medicine Week Actually Is

Back in 2019, the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective was like, "You know what? We need our own space for this conversation."

And they were absolutely right.

Indigenous Milk Medicine Week isn't just breastfeeding talk (though yeah, that's part of it). It's about milk medicine—this whole beautiful way of understanding that feeding your baby is like... connecting to this ancient river of wisdom that's been flowing for thousands of years.

The thing is, mainstream breastfeeding week is fine and all. But it doesn't get the unique stuff Indigenous mothers deal with.

The historical trauma. The cultural knowledge that almost got wiped out. How colonization messed with traditional feeding practices—that deserves its own spotlight.

This year's theme? It's connecting something as personal as feeding your baby to the big messy complicated picture of Indigenous rights and healing. About damn time.

Why "Milk Medicine" Instead of Just "Breastfeeding"?

This terminology gets me every time because it's so much bigger than the clinical stuff.

Indigenous traditions get that what you're doing when you feed your baby isn't just calories and nutrients. You're literally passing medicine, culture, stories—all of it—through your body to theirs.

Your milk isn't just nutrition. It's medicine. It's love in the most literal form possible.

Your milk carries ancestral wisdom. Like, your great-great-grandmother's strength is literally flowing from you to your child.

Wild when you put it that way, right?

The Reality Indigenous Mothers Face (And Why It Matters)

Okay, let me tell you something that made me have to literally sit down with my coffee.

I was digging into the stats on Indigenous maternal health, and honestly? I had to stop reading and just breathe for a hot minute.

Indigenous mothers deal with way higher pregnancy complications. Getting culturally appropriate healthcare? Good luck with that. And don't even get me started on trying to find lactation support in rural areas—it's basically a unicorn.

Then you layer on historical medical trauma, and it starts making sense why this week is so important.

But here's what gets me fired up in the best way—despite all this crap, Indigenous mothers are absolutely fierce. They're figuring out how to honor their traditions while dealing with systems that weren't built for them.

They're literally healing stuff that got broken generations ago while raising the next generation. It's like watching someone nurse a garden back to life after a wildfire—coaxing green shoots from roots that go deeper than you'd ever imagine.

The Grandmother Gap

You know what absolutely wrecks me?

Talking to Indigenous moms who are desperate for that grandmother knowledge about breastfeeding. The kind of wisdom that should've been passed down like a family recipe.

But their grandmothers, great grandmothers and even great great grandmothers couldn't share it because residential schools and forced adoptions and all that colonial bs literally broke the chain.

That natural flow of feeding wisdom from grandmother to mother to daughter? Gone. Just... severed.

So if you're an Indigenous mama trying to figure this out without that traditional backup, listen to me: you're not broken. You're not behind on some invisible timeline.

You're doing something that takes serious guts—rebuilding that bridge of wisdom for your kids and their kids.

Love: Reconnecting with Traditional Milk Medicine

Can I tell you something beautiful?

Indigenous communities had this stuff figured out way before mainstream science started "discovering" what works for nursing moms. They basically had the cheat codes this whole time, and we're all just catching up.

Sacred Foods That Heal

Traditional knowledge about foods that boost milk supply? Mind-blowing doesn't even cover it.

Different regions, different nations—they all had their own medicine foods for new moms:

Pacific Northwest moms were eating salmon (hello omega-3s for baby's brain!). Plus seaweed for iodine and wild berries packed with antioxidants.

Plains Nations knew bison gave you the iron and protein you needed. Wild rice for sustained energy. Prairie turnips for postpartum healing.

Southwestern Nations were using blue corn because it's nutritionally superior to regular corn. Tepary beans for protein. And herbs like blessed thistle—yeah, the same blessed thistle we put in our Emergency Brownies—for milk support.

These weren't just random food choices. This was like having a PhD in nutritional science that took thousands of years to develop.

The Power of Community Care

Traditional Indigenous approaches to new motherhood make so much sense it almost hurts.

Picture this: you have a baby, and the whole community shows up. Not for a casserole and a quick visit—for months.

Grandmothers, aunties, cousins, that neighbor who makes the best fry bread—everyone had a job supporting new mothers. You weren't supposed to figure it out alone in your living room at 3am wondering if you're screwing everything up.

There were ceremonies to welcome babies. Rituals to support milk production. Extended periods where new mothers got taken care of so they could focus on healing and bonding.

Modern lactation science calls this "social support." Indigenous communities were already living it for centuries.

Landback: The Connection Between Territory and Milk Medicine

This might seem like a weird connection at first. Stick with me because it's actually pretty profound.

Plant Medicine and Modern Lactation Support

Those galactagogue ingredients in modern lactation products?

A lot of them come from Indigenous medicine traditions.

When you take blessed thistle for milk support, you're using plant medicine that Indigenous healers figured out centuries ago. Red raspberry leaf, wild oats, fennel—these were all part of traditional Indigenous medicine cabinets way before they showed up in research studies.

But here's where it gets messy. Lots of Indigenous communities can't access their traditional territories anymore—the places where these plants grow wild.

Food sovereignty—basically the right to your traditional foods and medicines—is tied directly to land rights.

Traditional Foods and Modern Challenges

I've talked to Indigenous mothers who remember their grandmothers talking about specific plants that helped nursing mothers.

But those plants don't grow where their families live now. Or they're on land they can't get to anymore.

This is where traditional knowledge bumps up against modern reality in complicated ways. Some Indigenous mothers are finding ways to get traditional plant medicines through ethical suppliers.

Others are working to bring back traditional food systems in their communities.

It's not just about individual health—it's about keeping culture alive and helping communities heal.

Liberation: Breaking Free from One-Size-Fits-All Approaches

Here's where Indigenous milk medicine challenges pretty much everything mainstream culture tells us about "proper" infant feeding.

Questioning Western Timelines

Indigenous traditions often included extended breastfeeding—way beyond what Western doctors usually recommend.

Kids nursed until they were done. Not when some chart said they should be.

There was also this gorgeous practice of shared nursing. Aunties and community members might nurse each other's babies. Can you imagine having that kind of support network?

And weaning? Often marked by ceremonies that treated the transition from milk to solid foods as sacred, not just developmental.

This isn't about judging modern practices—it's about recognizing that Indigenous communities had sophisticated, kid-led approaches that worked for thousands of years.

Navigating Modern Systems While Honoring Tradition

If you're an Indigenous mother trying to work within modern healthcare while honoring your cultural practices, this can feel like walking a tightrope.

In heels. During an earthquake.

You have the right to ask for Indigenous healthcare providers when they're available. Your cultural beliefs deserve respect in hospital settings.

You can request traditional foods and medicines as part of your care plan.

But I know that advocating for yourself in medical settings is exhausting. Especially when you're dealing with providers who don't get your cultural background.

You shouldn't have to choose between good medical care and honoring your traditions. You deserve both.

Stories from Indigenous Mothers

Let me share some conversations that have stuck with me.

"My grandmother was in residential school, so she never got to breastfeed her babies. When I nursed my daughter, it felt like I was healing something that had been broken in our family for generations."

This mama told me about nursing her daughter while singing traditional lullabies her grandmother had taught her. Lullabies her grandmother wasn't allowed to sing to her own children.

"I used traditional medicines my auntie taught me alongside modern lactation support. I needed both. The traditional knowledge connected me to my culture, but the modern support helped me solve practical problems."

This conversation really stuck with me. It shows how Indigenous mothers often have to bridge multiple worlds to create what works for their families.

"Teaching my son our language while nursing him felt like the most powerful thing I could do. Every feeding session was an act of cultural preservation."

Can you imagine? Using those quiet nursing moments to pass on language, culture, stories.

Turning feeding time into cultural transmission time.

How to Be a Real Ally During Indigenous Milk Medicine Week

If you're not Indigenous but want to support this week meaningfully, here's what actually helps.

Listen More Than You Talk

Follow Indigenous lactation consultants, midwives, and maternal health advocates on social media.

Read their posts. Share their content. Learn from what they're teaching.

There are Indigenous authors writing incredible books about traditional birthing and parenting practices. Buy their books. Share them with others.

When Indigenous Milk Medicine Week events are open to non-Indigenous people, go. But go to learn, not to make it about your experience.

It's like being invited to someone else's family reunion. You're grateful to be there, but you know you're not the guest of honor.

Support Indigenous Sovereignty

This goes way beyond just supporting Indigenous businesses (though that's important too).

Push for policies that support Indigenous rights to traditional medicine. Support increased funding for Indigenous health programs.

Learn about the Indigenous communities whose traditional territory you live on. Many plants used in modern lactation products were first used medicinally by Indigenous peoples—acknowledge that.

Examine Your Own Practices

If you use lactation support products with traditional plant medicines, take a minute to learn about where they come from.

Some companies are starting to give back to Indigenous communities as a way of honoring traditional knowledge.

Support companies that work ethically with Indigenous suppliers. That give back to Indigenous communities. That acknowledge where traditional plant wisdom comes from.

Creating Space for Indigenous Voices

This week, I want to challenge all of us to really listen to Indigenous mothers' experiences.

If You're Indigenous:

Your story matters. The way you combine traditional knowledge with modern life is valuable.

Your kids are learning from you how to honor their heritage while navigating today's world.

If you want to share your milk medicine journey, please do. Other Indigenous mothers need to hear they're not alone in bridging these worlds.

Connect with other Indigenous mothers in your community or online. There's real power in sharing experiences with people who get the unique challenges and joys of your journey.

If You're an Ally:

This week isn't about you, but your support matters.

Amplify Indigenous voices instead of trying to speak for Indigenous experiences.

Support Indigenous-led organizations working on maternal and child health. Vote for policies that support Indigenous sovereignty and healthcare access.

Most importantly, carry what you learn this week into the rest of the year. Indigenous Milk Medicine Week shouldn't be the only time you think about these issues.

The Sacred in the Everyday

You know what I love about the Indigenous approach to milk medicine?

It sees the sacred in something we might take for granted.

Every time you feed your baby, you're part of something ancient. You're continuing a tradition that connects you to every mother before you and every mother who'll come after.

Indigenous cultures have always understood this. They've always known that feeding babies is about more than nutrition.

It's about love. Connection. Survival. Keeping culture alive.

Whether you're Indigenous or not, there's wisdom here for all of us. The understanding that motherhood is sacred work.

That feeding our babies connects us to something bigger than ourselves. That we don't have to figure this out alone.

Moving Forward with Love and Respect

As Indigenous Milk Medicine Week plays out, I hope we can all sit with how complex and beautiful these experiences are.

For Indigenous mothers, I hope this week brings you connection. To your traditions, to other Indigenous mothers, to your ancestors' strength and your children's futures.

For allies, I hope this week opens your heart and mind to experiences different from your own. And to how colonization still affects Indigenous families today.

And for all of us, I hope this week reminds us that every feeding journey is sacred. Every mother's experience matters.

We all do better when we support each other with love and respect.

Because at the end of the day, we're all trying to nourish our babies the best way we know how. And there's something beautiful about learning from each other along the way.

It's like adding ingredients to a pot that's been simmering for generations. Each of us brings something unique, but we're all part of the same nourishing meal.

Frequently Asked Questions About Indigenous Milk Medicine Week

What is Indigenous Milk Medicine Week and when is it celebrated?

Indigenous Milk Medicine Week is observed annually from August 8-14.

Created in 2019 by the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective. Originally called Native Breastfeeding Week, this observance celebrates and uplifts the diversity of Indigenous breast/chestfeeding experiences.

The week focuses on traditional Indigenous approaches to infant feeding. These view breastfeeding as sacred "milk medicine" rather than just nutrition.

What does "Unapologetically Indigenous: Love, Landback, & Liberation" mean for 2025?

The 2025 theme connects intimate acts of infant feeding to broader Indigenous sovereignty movements.

"Love" honors traditional milk medicine wisdom and community care practices. "Landback" recognizes connections between traditional territories, food sovereignty, and access to traditional galactagogue plants.

"Liberation" challenges colonial approaches to infant feeding timelines. It embraces Indigenous ways of knowing about child-rearing.

How do traditional Indigenous feeding practices differ from mainstream approaches?

Traditional Indigenous practices often included extended breastfeeding beyond Western recommendations.

Shared nursing within communities. Child-led weaning marked by ceremonies. Extensive postpartum community support lasting months.

Many Indigenous cultures viewed specific traditional foods as medicine for nursing mothers. They incorporated ceremonial elements into feeding transitions, particularly first foods ceremonies.

What traditional Indigenous plants support milk production?

Many plants used in modern lactation products have Indigenous origins.

Blessed thistle (used by various nations for women's health). Red raspberry leaf (traditional pregnancy and postpartum support). Wild oats (harvested by many Indigenous communities).

Fennel (adopted into traditional practices through trade). These plants were part of sophisticated traditional pharmacology systems developed over thousands of years.

What unique challenges do Indigenous mothers face with breastfeeding today?

Indigenous mothers face higher rates of pregnancy complications.

Limited access to culturally appropriate healthcare. Geographic barriers to lactation support. Historical medical trauma.

Disrupted generational knowledge transfer due to residential schools and forced adoptions. Many also lack access to traditional foods and medicines that historically supported nursing mothers.

How did colonization impact Indigenous breastfeeding practices?

Colonization severely disrupted traditional infant feeding knowledge through residential schools, forced adoptions, and medical racism.

Many Indigenous grandmothers couldn't pass down breastfeeding wisdom because they were denied those experiences.

This created gaps in generational knowledge transfer. Indigenous mothers today are working to heal and restore this knowledge.

What is the connection between food sovereignty and Indigenous milk medicine?

Food sovereignty—control over traditional food systems—directly impacts Indigenous mothers' access to traditional galactagogue foods and medicines.

Many traditional milk-supporting plants grow on ancestral territories that Indigenous communities can no longer access.

Supporting food sovereignty means supporting Indigenous mothers' ability to use traditional approaches to milk medicine.

How can non-Indigenous people support Indigenous Milk Medicine Week?

Non-Indigenous allies can support by following and amplifying Indigenous maternal health advocates.

Supporting Indigenous-led organizations. Learning about traditional knowledge behind modern lactation products. Advocating for Indigenous healthcare funding.

Purchasing from Indigenous-owned businesses. Focus on listening and learning rather than centering your own experience.

Are there Indigenous lactation consultants and maternal health experts?

Yes, there are Indigenous IBCLCs (International Board Certified Lactation Consultants), traditional midwives, and maternal health advocates working in Indigenous communities.

Many blend traditional Indigenous knowledge with modern lactation science.

The Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective and tribal health organizations can help connect you with culturally appropriate support.

How do Indigenous communities view extended breastfeeding and weaning?

Many Indigenous traditions practiced child-led weaning, often extending well beyond Western recommendations.

Weaning was frequently marked by first foods ceremonies that honored the transition as sacred rather than just developmental.

These practices recognized that children wean naturally when ready. They celebrated this milestone as part of cultural and spiritual development.

What resources exist for Indigenous mothers seeking milk medicine support?

Resources include the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective, tribal health services, First Nations Health Authority (Canada), Indian Health Service facilities (US).

Indigenous birth workers and lactation consultants. Traditional healers and herbalists. Indigenous maternal health organizations.

Many communities are also working to revitalize traditional knowledge through elder teachings and cultural programs.

Can traditional Indigenous milk medicine practices be combined with modern healthcare?

Yes, many Indigenous mothers successfully integrate traditional practices with modern medical care.

This might include using traditional galactagogue foods alongside clinical lactation support. Incorporating ceremony and cultural practices into hospital births.

Working with healthcare providers who respect Indigenous approaches to infant feeding and postpartum care.