The Nest plan aims to assist Native Americans who are pregnant both during and after childbirth
One of the highest maternal mortality rates of any ethnic group is experienced by Aboriginal people in the United States. According to a report released this year by the Washington State Department of Health, American Indians and Alaska Natives in Washington are twice as likely to pass away during pregnancy as Black people and are eight to five times more likely than light persons to do so. According to the report, racism, poverty, and social stigma all play a role in the high mortality rates and that 80 % of maternal deaths could have been avoided.
The Nest, a confirmed fundamental money system only for Indigenous families, was just introduced by the Seattle volunteer Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services to address these disparities. 150 Aboriginal anxious parents and families will receive monthly cash assistance from the program, the first of its kind, until their child turns three. The program will work for the next five years. A doula, community organizer, and perinatal health educator named Patanjali de la Rocha ( Kalanga/ Tagalog ), the director of The Nest, claimed that the program had already received more than 300 applications. The application procedure is also ongoing and likely end in March.
Patanjali de la Rocha’s politeness
Money assistance programs can enhance children’s overall well-being by reducing early childhood poverty and enhancing their physical health and food security, two problems that disproportionately affect Indigenous communities. Similar state programs, which have frequently excluded people of color, have previously been permeated by racism. From 2001 to 2015, there was a sharp reduction in immediate cash assistance programs, which contributed to the extreme poverty’s homelessness and food insecurity. The decline in these programs has frequently been explained by racist stories about which cultural organizations are “deserving” and which are not, with people of color being overwhelmingly identified as “undeserved.” Income support programs still frequently over-police people of color today.
In order to improve Aboriginal children’s first lives, The Nest hopes to start addressing historic inequities involving financial aid and alter the negative narratives surrounding hardship. The Perigee Fund, a charitable organization run by kid counselor Lisa Mennet, the Democrat group’s lone largest donor in Washington state, offers assistance.
De la Rocha was questioned by High Country News about the Nest and how strong funding aids Maori families. This discussion has been condensed for clarity and conciseness.
High Country News: Who qualifies for aid and what is the Nest?
PDLR: It’s a confirmed fundamental income program for female Native Americans and Pacific Islanders. Although guaranteed money is not a novel concept, it has recently gained popularity in the US, especially in light of the pandemic’s development of child tax credits. Over 100 unique dollars help pilots are currently operating across the country, and the Nest is one of them. You are not required to act in any particular way in order to get the Nest’s absolute income. Additionally, it is unrestricted, so we do n’t tell people how to use it. It provides$ 1,250 per month from childbirth until your child’s next day, but you must be at least 12 months pregnant and intending to have children in order to qualify. There is a maximum income and you must reside in King County, Pierce County or the Tulalip appointment. To set our control, we combine the area median revenue and the self-sufficiency standard.
Why is cash aid the best way to deal with Aboriginal mothers ‘ maternal deaths and other problems, according to HCN?
Native Americans ‘ maternal mortality rate is the fastest-growing of any ethnic group in the United States, according to PDLR. High disparities are caused by historical trauma and group assault from conquest, genocide, forced transfer, and boarding schools, as well as a lack of access to basic medical care. Guaranteed income not just benefits individuals personally, but it also promotes intergenerational healing.
We’re providing people with the means to meet a baby’s physiological needs, which include devotion, sleep, and fat. Giving people a certain income during this time aids in the natural growth of their children. A child’s health and life benefits over the course of their lifetime are significantly impacted during the first three years of life.
Guaranteed revenue is beneficial not only on a personal level, but it also aids in intergenerational healing.
HCN: What distinguishes the Nest from additional cash aid initiatives?
PDLR: We took into account the historical widespread suspicion that Black and Indigenous communities have in our system design. I would wonder: What’s the fraud if someone told me they would supply me$ 1,250 per month for three and a half times? We still need to work to increase people’s respect even as a community-based business. Therefore, we asked simple questions during the process of creating the program. The necessary evidence is simple to obtain. For instance, individuals can take photographs of their ID with their telephone. We contact people every six weeks after they receive the money. They can also receive additional additional supports, but when they enroll in the program, they are exempt from doing anything else as long as they meet the requirements.
To ensure that our communication and the manner we conduct our app and onboarding processes elevate the value of Maori parenting, we worked with the Indigenous community. We want to repair some of that damage.
HCN: What are the negative stories about money support programs, and how can you refute them?
Guaranteed money is tale work, according to PDLR. There is a lot of evidence that guaranteed income is effective, but because poverty is stigmatized, there is n’t much political support. This indicates that the guaranteed salary movement is attempting to change the narrative from poverty to poverty as a social failing of an individual to one of policy failure. However, I would add that it is not a scheme loss. Our nation was built on servitude and free labor on stolen property, so capitalism must take advantage of some people.
We are not here to persuade anyone of the value of our populations or to uphold false narratives about hunger. We want to draw attention to the extraordinary genius found in Indigenous areas.
We have a lot of flexibility in terms of who we serve and how we want to show our stories because we are personally funded. And we’re fortunate to have donors who help us reclaim tales.
HCN: Do you intend to provide participants with additional help in addition to the cash aid program?
Completely, PDLR. A strong services program is what we are mostly. We are providing additional social support, such as doula services, a house visiting system, and monetary sovereignty classes, even though we are unable to provide everyone in the Nest. Many guaranteed income programs provide individuals with financial education training. We’re acting in a slightly different way. Indigenous people teach it, and it has healing roots because it acknowledges that invasion has resulted in trauma and financial loss. The traditional values and the property are the foundation of the course. It’s about usurping prosperity and abundance, not just about money.
What are the Nest’s long-term objectives, asks HCN?
PDLR: Increasing this plan would be fantastic. A nationwide assured income movement is underway in Washington. A bill that do offer financial aid to transitional areas, such as pregnant women or those who are homeless, has been put forth half but has not been approved. A movement to support a certain income using some of the city’s public fund has also emerged in Seattle.
We still have a way to go because The Nest has been flying for five years. I’m optimistic that the tales that emerge from our work will support the movement for money support. It would be incredible if some of this work was simply change the distribution of TANF ( Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ) and WIC ( the national supplemental nutrition plan for women, infants, and babies ). It would be amazing if we could alter some of the administrative rules governing how security is now distributed to make it more humane and available.
Natalia Mesa is a Northwest-focused editor volunteer for High Country News, based in Seattle, Washington. Send her an email at [email protected ] or write the editor a letter. Notice the editor plan for our letters.