Reproduction on the Reservation - (Critical Indigeneities) by Brianna Theobald (Paperback)

About the Book

"The first book-length history of reproduction that centers [on] Native American women, Reproduction on the reservation documents the transformation of reproductive practices on Indian reservations from the late nineteenth century to the early twenty-first. Relying on extensive archival research as well as oral histories that allow Native women to tell their own stories, this study integrates a local history of childbearing, motherhood, and activism on the Crow Reservation in Montana with an analysis of trends affecting women throughout Indian country. Historian Brianna Theobald uses the lens of reproductive justice to demonstrate the extent to which colonial politics have been--and remain--reproductive politics. In the process, she offers compelling new analyses of topics ranging from pronatalism to eugenics to relocation. At the heart of this history are the Native women who displayed creativity and fortitude in navigating pregnancy and childbirth in evolving historical contexts and who struggled for reproductive self-determination on--and sometimes off--reservations throughout the twentieth century" --

Book Synopsis

This pathbreaking book documents the transformation of reproductive practices and politics on Indian reservations from the late nineteenth century to the present, integrating a localized history of childbearing, motherhood, and activism on the Crow Reservation in Montana with an analysis of trends affecting Indigenous women more broadly. As Brianna Theobald illustrates, the federal government and local authorities have long sought to control Indigenous families and women's reproduction, using tactics such as coercive sterilization and removal of Indigenous children into the white foster care system. But Theobald examines women's resistance, showing how they have worked within families, tribal networks, and activist groups to confront these issues. Blending local and intimate family histories with the histories of broader movements such as WARN (Women of All Red Nations), Theobald links the federal government's intrusion into Indigenous women's reproductive and familial decisions to the wider history of eugenics and the reproductive rights movement. She argues convincingly that colonial politics have always been -- and remain -- reproductive politics.

By looking deeply at one tribal nation over more than a century, Theobald offers an especially rich analysis of how Indigenous women experienced pregnancy and motherhood under evolving federal Indian policy. At the heart of this history are the Crow women who displayed creativity and fortitude in struggling for reproductive self-determination.

Review Quotes

"The largest contribution to the historical understanding of Native reproductive experiences. . . . By weaving a birth story into the recent protests against environemntal injustices and broken treaties, Theobald demonstrates that maternal health and reproductive control mechanisms have been central to colonial policies."--Women's Review of Books

"[A] thoughtful close study of birthing, child-rearing, and activism on and off the Crow Reservation [that] is instructive to the field of American Indian history and to ethical historical practices."--H-AmIndian

"A model for future studies. . . . This book will find a wide readership among a range of social science and humanities disciplines. I hope it will also be read by health professionals and by students and faculty in public health."--Journal of American History

"An important addition to the growing body of literature that explores reproductive justice issues among Indigenous people. . . . This book is suited for both experienced scholars in these areas and members of the reading public who desire a greater comprehension of the reproductive experiences of Indigenous women in the United States during the 20th century."--Affilia: Journal of Women and Social Work

"An important contribution in understanding the past and current struggle toward reproductive justice for all."--Great Plains Quarterly

"In this much-needed account, Theobald has represented the reproductive history of Indigenous (Crow) people, as well as challenges to reproductive agency for Native American women and families, as a way of understanding challenges to tribal sovereignty over a century and more of attempts to destroy it."--Adoption & Culture

"The voices of Crow women ring loud and clear throughout the book. . . . Reproduction on the Reservation is essential reading for students of women's and gender studies, America in the twentieth century, and Indigenous history."--Montana: The Magazine of Western History

"Theobald has no trouble drawing a strong through-line in the book that illustrates a continuity of struggle for reproductive rights in Indigenous communities."--Nursing Clio

"Theobald's use of oral histories and interviews with Native women makes for an intimate, affecting exploration of resilience under assimilationist pressures."--Library Journal

"This book is extremely important for multiple academic disciplines, especially for those interested in American history and reproductive politics, and is essential for those wanting to expand their knowledge of American Indian women's experiences, both historically and currently."--CHOICE