Kandace Littlefoot (Diné) discusses the Hyde Amendment and its impact on access to abortion care within Indigenous communities. “Indigenous people have survived genocide, removal of our children and forced sterilization, among other atrocities…I support abortion access because of my Indigenous matriarchal values and traditions — not in spite of them.”
September 30th, 2021 marks 45 years of the Hyde Amendment passing. The Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of federal money to fund abortion under all circumstances except if the abortion is life threatening to the pregnant person, or if pregnancy arises from rape or incest. This means that people who get their health care through programs like the Indian Health Service (IHS) face significant barriers in accessing abortion.
