Indigenous Nations have long understood the importance of nurturing a child’s physical, mental, cultural and spiritual health from the very beginning of life. Take my own people, the Dakota Nation, for example. Centuries before the founding of the United States, Dakota babies had access to these essential elements of well-being.
Daisy Norris, Blackfeet mother in Glacier National Park
Dakota babies were born to mothers who consumed food directly from the earth or by hunting animals. Their diet was unprocessed and relied on the mastery of skills and knowledge to cultivate. Embedded in Dakota culture were specific parenting practices to teach children the essential skills they needed, at certain stages of their lives, to feed their families.
Around the age of 5 to 6 years, Dakota boys got a bow and was instructed to use locusts as target practice until they were ready to hunt. Dakota girls learned at an early age how to gather and prepare food and medicine for their people.
Dakota babies also grew up immersed in the sounds of their culture. Even in the womb they could hear drums and songs. Modern research now supports what the indigenous people have always known:that babies in the womb are profoundly affected by sound and can recognize familiar voices from birth. Our children listen from the very beginning.
When Dakota children came into the world, the first language they heard was their native language. Through this language they were introduced to birth songs and ceremonies shared by countless ancestors before them. They drank milk from the breasts of their mothers – or sometimes from other women who had recently had children in their kinship network. This beautiful cultural practice not only supported mothers facing early breastfeeding challenges, but also passed on essential antibodies through breast milk. giving babies immunity before their own systems could fully develop.
Within days of birth, Dakota children were adorned with carefully crafted clothing made by their family members as a physical expression of their love. As they grew up, the elders shared stories with them that were passed down from generation to generation. These stories taught important lessons about respect, well-being, courage, and how to navigate the world.
Indigenous families have the power to reclaim these practices for our children today, allowing them to experience their first days on earth as our ancestors intended. When we carry these traditions into our children’s early lives, we remind them of who they are long before the outside world shapes them.
When we embrace these practices, we honor previous generations and build a foundation of resilience for future generations. Our children deserve to feel the power of their ancestors from birth; this is the first gift we give them.
These traditions, which colonization sought to eradicate, have been – and can still be – a profound gift to our children. They ground them in their identity and give them the tools to become compassionate and healthy adults.
From the very beginning, we can surround our children with the sights, sounds and love of our heritage. Try introducing songs, stories, and language from your family’s culture while your child is still in the womb. Talk to them and sing to them. Let them start their lives connected to their roots. As they grow, small gestures such as donating cultural objects, taking them hunting and gathering activities, and telling you the stories your grandparents told you will help them build a foundation of confidence in their identity.
All the things they tried to take from us make our children strong. When our children have those things, they are more likely to thrive.