Indigenous Nations have long understood the importance of nurturing a child’s physical, mental, cultural and spiritual health from the very beginning of life. Take my own people, the Dakota Nation, for example. Centuries before the founding of the United States, Dakota babies had access to these vital elements of well-being.
Dakota babies were born to mothers who consumed food directly from the earth or through hunting animals. Their diet was unprocessed, relying on the mastery of skills and knowledge to cultivate. In Dakota culture, specific parenting practices were embedded to teach children the essential skills they would need, at precise stages in their lives, to feed their families.
At around ages 5 to 6, Dakota boys were given a bow and instructed to use grasshoppers as target practice until they were ready to hunt. Dakota girls learned at a young age how to gather and prepare food and medicines for their people.
Dakota babies also grew up immersed in the sounds of their culture. Even in the womb, they could hear drums and songs. Modern research now supports what Indigenous people have always known—that babies in utero are profoundly affected by sound and can recognize familiar voices from birth. Our children are listening from the very beginning.
When Dakota children entered the world, the first language they heard was their mother tongue. Through this language, they were introduced to birth songs and ceremonies that had been shared by countless ancestors before them. They drank milk from their mothers’ breasts—or sometimes from other women who recently had children in their kinship network. This beautiful cultural practice not only supported mothers facing early breastfeeding challenges but also passed on vital antibodies through breastmilk, giving babies immunity before their own systems could fully develop.
Within days of birth, Dakota children were adorned with meticulously crafted clothing made by their relatives as a physical expression of their love. As they grew, elders would share stories with them passed down through generations. These stories taught important lessons about respect, wellness, courage and how to navigate the world.
Indigenous families have the power to reclaim these practices for our children today, allowing them to experience their first days on earth the way our ancestors intended. When we bring these traditions to our children’s early lives, we remind them who they are, long before the outside world shapes them.
When we embrace these practices, we honor generations past and lay a foundation of resilience for generations to come. Our children deserve to feel the strength of their ancestors from birth; this is the first gift we give them.
These traditions, which colonization tried to eradicate, have been—and still can be—a profound gift to our children. They ground them in identity and give them the tools to become compassionate and healthy adults.
From the very beginning, we can surround our children with the sights, sounds and love of our heritage. Try introducing songs, stories and language from your family’s culture while your child is still in the womb. Speak to them and sing to them. Let them begin their lives connected to their roots. As they grow, small gestures, like gifting them cultural items, taking them with you to hunt and gather and telling them stories your grandparents told you, will help them build a foundation of confidence in their identity.
All the things they tried to take from us are what make our children strong. When our children have those things, they are more likely to thrive.
