SACRED WATERS COLLECTIVE FOR INDIGENOUS MILK MEDICINE WEEK

In honor of Indigenous Milk Medicine Week (August 8–14), CHEER celebrates the transformative work of Sacred Waters Collective, an Indigenous-led organization based in Michigan.

Sacred Waters Collective is rooted in the reclamation and revitalization of traditional birth, lactation, and parenting practices. Through their work, they strengthen Indigenous families and communities by fostering deep connections to culture, language, and traditions.

At the heart of the collective is a dedicated caretaker team of certified Indigenous Full Spectrum Doulas and Indigenous Lactation Counselors, supported by a guiding circle of elders and teachers. Together, they work to restore Indigenous bodily sovereignty, food sovereignty, and ceremonial practices while actively addressing the systemic racism that has contributed to health disparities in Indigenous communities.

“We enjoy working with the people in our communities who are passionate about supporting birthing people and families,” shares a Sacred Waters Collective caretaker. “The healing that happens during our teachings and in our circles, and especially afterwards, when people go out into the community to support others, is why we do this work.”

Sacred Waters Collective views the decolonization of parenting and infant feeding as a powerful form of resistance, ceremony, and reclamation – one that must be honored, protected, and supported at every level of society.

CHEER is deeply honored to recognize the leadership of Sacred Waters Collective and their unwavering commitment to Indigenous health, breastfeeding equity, and birth justice!