Healing our families: A lifespan perspective of mothering among American Indian women

PURPOSE: The purpose of this presentation is to explore the mothering experience and practice among reservation living, adult American Indian (AI) women who were adolescent mothers.

BACKGROUND: Early childbearing (teen pregnancy) among AI women is common and despite a decrease in teen pregnancy for this population since 1991, early childbearing continues to rise. These women are at increased risk for poor perinatal outcomes. Little is known about the early childbearing experiences among these women and methods to support them.

METHODS: Employing a collaborative approach and interpretive phenomenology, a convenience sample of 30 adult AI women who resided on a Northwestern reservation were recruited. In-depth, face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted between 2007 and 2009.

FINDINGS: Women shared their practice and experience of mothering which encompassed a lifespan perspective grounded within cultural tradition. Three themes were identified: (1) mother hen, (2) mothering on pause and restarting, and (3) mature mothering which additionally divided into: mature mothering and breaking cycles. Mothering originated in childhood, extended across their lifespan and pushed beyond mothering their biological offspring.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrate a cultural orientation to the construct of mothering that challenges Western constructs of mothering. This is important for health care providers, social workers and educators whom work with AI communities as an alternate conceptualization is required for mothering when working with this population to develop sensitive interventions, to reinforce positive mothering practices, and to identify when additional mothering support is needed across women's lifespan.