Recent CDC data showed an increase in pregnancy-related deaths during the first year of the pandemic, but for some reason Indigenous women were not included in the research. This is despite the fact that previous studies have shown that Indigenous women are at least twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as white women. 

The Takeaway speaks with two experts to learn more about why Indigenous women are at higher risk for maternal deaths and what needs to be done to improve their health outcomes: Abigail Echo-Hawk, Executive Vice President at the Seattle Indian Health Board and the Director of the Urban Indian Health Institute and enrolled citizen of the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, and Caroline Davis, a research associate working with tribal nations and tribal organizations, and a member of the Navajo Nation.