Flower Moon Families

11/10/2025

🌽Mandaamin (corn) and fellow odawakwe Mary Donner of have taught me so much about , and ceremony this week.
🌽Corn is one of our sacred foods, and it never ceases to humble me. This week, corn reminded me that food sovereignty doesn't mean "being responsible for everything on your own". In fact, quite the opposite. Food sovereignty is about building trust and relationships we can rely on. Foodways built on extraction and commodification will ALWAYS fail us, because they prioritize profit at the expense of humanity and relationship.
🫱🏽‍🫲🏾Even the role of corn as a sacred Anishinaabe food teaches us about humility and connection. It was originally cultivated and stewarded to a form of edible plant relative by our southern relatives in Mesoamerica and brought to us up north through trade relationships.
👶🏽 🌽Each kernel is a single o***y, every strand of silk, an umbilical cord, every ear of corn an abundant lifebringer
🫂 Mandaamin teaches us so much about relationships. The eldest sister in the field, she's the backbone of the garden, providing strength and structure for beans and squash to flourish, but also is nurtured and nourished by them. She gives and receives in reciprocity, not extractive but also not as a martyr.
💪🏽 This beautiful heritage flint corn is a labor of love. Alone, tending to corn would be too much - a burdensome chore. But bringing together our families, it became a joyful ceremony and relationship building between us, our children, the land, the corn, and generations past and yet to come.
🌽 Humility in the presence of this relative brought more richness to my life, and now I can share that. I spent much of my life feeling shame that I didn't grow up traditionally Anishinaabe. Building relationship with my community, my plant and animal and land relatives has taught me that's not my shame to carry. So now I get to delight in learning and sharing. This corn belongs to our community, and Mary and I are committed to sharing the bounty of corn as well as mandaamin's stories, her wisdom, and methods of stewardship. Stay tuned for and corn distribution

11/10/2025

🍼 This is super duper important, formula MUST be mixed in the ratio on the can, and most are 2 oz water to 1 scoop but not all. Infants should never be put on a "diet" or have their bottles watered down. They also shouldn't have their formula concentration increased without close physician supervision. Infant kidneys need a very specific balance of electrolytes and improper formula concentrations or homemade formulas can have traffic consequences. Please also note that the Keurig style formula machines are NOT reliable in using the correct ratios and I have absolutely seen babies with health or growth challenges due to these machines.

🍼 Additionally, what's not talked about on the can is that making formula with water that is 160°F/70°C is the ONLY practice that can reduce the bacteria load of cronobacter contamination, which is an inherent risk of powdered formula. You can make enough formula for 24 hours usage and store in a pitcher in the fridge rather than making each bottle one at a time. This step is most important for babies under 2 months old or immune compromised. If ready-to-feed or concentrated (liquid options) are financially feasible, these types of formula are not at risk of cronobacter (it happens in the dehydration part of the manufacturing process) so are a good option for folks who don't want to do the hot water mixing and cooling.

🍼 Formula bottles must be disposed of withing one hour of mixing with baby's saliva (from when they put the bottle in their mouth), or they can experience food borne illness from bacterial growth.

🍼 Formula is a very useful and important tool, but it's so important to use it properly and mix it correctly, or it can be dangerous and I don't think we talk about that enough.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BWS7D8ARP/

11/10/2025

If you know me, you know I LOVE supporting community milk sharing! And I love this informative post about peer to peer milk sharing by my pals over at Skilled Lactation Solutions, LLC . I've been ruminating a lot on food sovereignty this week, especially in regards to lactation and parenting - so perfect timing for this convo!

11/09/2025

IMPORTANT RECALL INFORMATION!!! Check your lot numbers if you're using ByHeart Infant formula.

From the article:
Federal and state health officials are investigating 13 cases in 10 states of infant botulism linked to baby formula that was being recalled, authorities said Saturday.

ByHeart Inc. agreed to begin recalling two lots of the company’s Whole Nutrition Infant Formula, the Food and Drug Administration said in a statement.

All 13 infants were hospitalized after consuming formula from two lots: 206VABP/251261P2 and 206VABP/251131P2.

The cases occurred in Arizona, California, Illinois, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas and Washington.

https://apnews.com/article/infant-botulism-formula-byheart-recall-fda-cdc-91019e385a98a2fceb26a12005ea3fbb

11/08/2025

10/31/2025

Until Hurricane Melissa hit, I was planning to be speaking at a conference in Jamaica next week. My first thought as I saw the storm headed their way was immediately - how can we best help the families and babies who will be impacted? The org linked in this post is run by a Jamaican IBCLC who is letting us know exactly how to do that. Hospitalized babies are incredibly vulnerable during natural disasters, and right now getting them safe beds and supplies will make an enormous difference. Please join me in donating and spreading the word. I know in the US many of our families are also facing hardships and uncertainty, and don't have resources to donate, and that's ok! Sharing is so helpful too 💗

This week, we were scheduled to be in Jamaica for our conference, coming together to celebrate connection, culture, and community. While the storm changed those plans, it also reminds us what true connection looks like: showing up for one another in times of need.

Black River Hospital in St. Elizabeth was severely damaged, and newborns are now being transferred to Mandeville Regional Hospital, which urgently needs cribs to care for them safely.

Our friend and colleague Simeca Alexander-Williamson, MPH, IBCLC and her foundation, Cradle of Life, are in the midst of local relief efforts. Donations to her foundation go directly toward purchasing cribs from a local medical distributor.

The hospital urgently needs 10 cribs, each costing JMD $92,000 (approx. USD $575), and 4 incubators (cost TBD). Every contribution will go directly toward this purchase and make a tangible difference.

Suggested donations:

- JMD $5,000 ≈ USD $32 – contributes toward this urgent need
- JMD $10,000 ≈ USD $65 – helps provide essential support
- JMD $20,000 ≈ USD $130 – covers a portion of one crib
- JMD $92,000 ≈ USD $575 – fully funds one crib

🔗 Donate via Cradle of Life here: https://secure.ezeepayments.com/?ZnXkrxj

When donating, please enter the amount in Jamaican dollars (JMD). Approximate U.S. equivalents are shown for your convenience.

This week, instead of gathering in Jamaica, we can still honor the spirit of our conference by standing with the island that was ready to welcome us.

Thank you for your generosity, compassion, and solidarity during this time of recovery.

10/28/2025

Back in April, Northern Michigan was hit with an ice storm that was described as the frozen version of a Category 5 hurricane. My family and many others were without power and water for over 2 weeks. Houses were destroyed, there was death and injury as a result of crashing trees. Our plant relatives and infrastructure are still suffering months later, and the expenses were crushing. And yet, I still cannot imagine the terror and danger folks in Jamaica are facing right now.

My whole heart is with the people of Jamaica, the land that holds them, and the plant and animal relatives who are seeking safety through this catastrophic storm.

10/09/2025

Aanii indinawemaaganidog! Please join us for the remaining date for a special fall celebration and focus group for Indigenous families! Michigan WIC is collaborating with Mshko’Ode Farm and Gun Lake Tribe, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi with Samantha Gann to hear from you about how WIC can best support Indigenous families of Michigan. We invite all parents, caregivers, and pregnant individuals from Indigenous families, or caring for Indigenous children (citizens or descendants) to join us for a beautiful, farm-fresh lunch followed by conversational focus group with Elizabeth Montez (Little Traverse Bay Bands Odawa) and Lindsey McGahey (Sault Tribe Chippewa) about how WIC can best meet the needs of your families. Your little ones are welcome! We will have a fall teaching activity available for the kids, and caregivers will receive a $75 Visa gift card upon completion of the focus group.
Please note there were two dates and locations, however only one remaining:

(Central) October 26th – 11:30am Camp Jijak Hall, Gun Lake Tribe - Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, 2558 20th St, Hopkins, MI 49328
You must register in advance and receive a confirmation email in order to be eligible for a gift card. Register here: https://airtable.com/app9lMMA73L7ZgZox/shrftPPMWjT5WnBXH
Chi miigwech, we look forward to being in community with you!

09/30/2025

Wearing orange is a great start, but there's a lot of action needed to honor and remember all the children whose lives were lost or destroyed by US government ran and endorsed Indian boarding schools. I'm Michigan, we have a curriculum available but not mandated or used in schools. Please use your voice to bring this curriculum to our schools! Our children matter 🧡🧡🧡

09/26/2025

I am so excited to share this workshop I will be doing in Seattle in two weeks! This is a NON-CLINICAL in-person workshop for anyone working in prenatal-5 spaces in King County and funded by Best Starts for Kids

This one day workshop is designed for professionals working with pregnant and parenting people who want to deepen their understanding of lactation through a decolonizing lens. Join us to understand the role we can ALL take as community partners to support lactation. Designed for midwives, doulas, social workers, childcare providers, home visitors, or anyone interested in best supporting growing families, participants will explore the benefits of breast/chestfeeding, biological imperatives, and evidence-based best practices while considering how historical and cultural factors shape our approach to lactation today.

By the end of this workshop, participants will feel empowered to advocate for and support lactation as a shared community responsibility, fostering healthier, more inclusive feeding practices that honor the lived experiences and identities of the people they serve. This workshop is ideal for non-lactation providers who are committed to providing holistic, inclusive, and culturally competent care to families from pregnancy and beyond.

*IN PERSON* It Takes All of Us: Community Lactation Practices for Thriving Children *IN-PERSON* | STARS NOT Offered Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health 9 spots available Monday, October 6 2025, 9:30am - 4pm Register Details This activity will be held ** IN PERSON **; details of the exact locati...

09/25/2025

Aanii indinawemaaganidog! Please join us for a special fall celebration and focus group for Indigenous families! Michigan WIC is collaborating with Miigwech Inc, Mshko’Ode Farm, and Lake Tribe, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi to hear from you about how WIC can best support Indigenous families of Michigan. We invite all parents, caregivers, and pregnant individuals from Indigenous families, or caring for Indigenous children (citizens or descendants) to join us for a beautiful, farm-fresh lunch followed by conversational focus group with Elizabeth Montez (Little Traverse Bay Bands Odawa) and Lindsey McGahey (Sault Tribe Chippewa) about how WIC can best meet the needs of your families. Your little ones are welcome! We will have a fall teaching activity available for the kids, and caregivers will receive a $75 Visa gift card upon completion of the focus group.

Please note there are two dates available, at different locations:

(North) October 3rd – 11:30am Miigwech Inc Community Space, 7722 US 31, Unit D, Alanson, MI 49706

(Central) October 26th – 11:30am Camp Jijak Hall, Gun Lake Tribe - Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, 2558 20th St, Hopkins, MI 49328

You must register in advance and receive a confirmation email in order to be eligible for a gift card. Register here: https://airtable.com/app9lMMA73L7ZgZox/shrftPPMWjT5WnBXH

Chi miigwech, we look forward to being in community with you!