Native American Women Snap Up Health Book

Reprinted by permission from Women's eNews

By Suzanne Batchelor
WeNews Correspondent

Native American women are snapping up a health-advice book written, in the tradition of "Our Bodies, Ourselves," by and for them. Editors say interest in the book is fueled by historic abuses of indigenous women's reproductive rights.

(WOMENSENEWS) -- In the late 1990s, Shoshone women began to perform once again a ritual dance of female strength and resourcefulness that they had not celebrated since the 1930s, following decades of forced removal from ancient lands, crushing poverty, loss and disease, when their people were forced off their ancient lands.

Charon Asetoyer (Photo courtesy of Women's eNews)

Now, Native American women are sharing another celebration of themselves.

This time, it's the arrival of a health book, "Indigenous Women's Health Book, Within the Sacred Circle." The book, written and edited by indigenous women, encourages its readers to become active participants in their own health care. It is causing the same kind of splash that "Our Bodies, Ourselves" did in the mainstream United States back in 1969.

"The books are flying out the door," says Charon Asetoyer, a member of the Comanche Nation and the executive director of the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center in Lake Andes, S.D., which runs a food pantry, a battered women's shelter and offers health information to women.

A first edition of only 1,500 copies of the 322-page anthology was published and announced late last year to Native American news outlets by the nonprofit, indigenous-led Center.

Now, despite limited publicity, the compendium of detailed guidance on everything from contraception to domestic violence to traditional herbal remedies is headed for a second and possibly third printing.