01/29/2026
Native American and Alaska Native communities experience the highest pregnancy-related mortality rates in the U.S., with most deaths considered preventable.
Through the story of Rhonda Swaney, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, this article highlights how gaps in maternal care, underfunded systems, and a lack of tribal representation continue to put Native mothers at risk.
“Our matriarchs, our moms, are what carries a nation forward.”
https://www.newstribune.com/news/2026/jan/27/native-americans-are-dying-from-pregnancy-they/
Just hours after Rhonda Swaney left a prenatal appointment for her first pregnancy, she felt severe pain in her stomach and started vomiting.