Native American and Alaska Native women face a devastating maternal health crisis, with the highest pregnancy-related mortality rates among all major demographic groups in the United States, according to 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The disparity is particularly stark when examining preventable deaths. According to 2021 CDC data from 46 state maternal mortality review committees, 87% of maternal deaths nationwide were deemed preventable. For Native American and Alaska Native populations, committees determined that most, if not all, deaths were considered preventable.
Rhonda Swaney, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, experienced this crisis firsthand nearly 50 years ago. At six months pregnant, she suffered severe complications that led to a stillborn birth and hospitalization where doctors didn’t expect her to survive. She believes Native Americans continue receiving inadequate maternal care today.
Mental health conditions and infection are the leading underlying causes of pregnancy-related deaths among Native American and Alaska Native women. An estimated 68% of these deaths occur within a week of delivery to a year postpartum, with most happening between 43 days and a year after birth.
Access to care remains severely limited. A 2024 study found approximately 75% of Native American and Alaska Native pregnant people lack access to Indian Health Service care around the time of giving birth. Among those who did deliver at IHS facilities, a 2020 federal report found 56% received care that didn’t follow national clinical guidelines.
Kim Moore-Salas, co-chair of Arizona’s Maternal Mortality Review Committee and member of the Navajo Nation, emphasizes the stakes: “Our matriarchs, our moms, are what carries a nation forward.”
See: “Native Americans Are Dying From Pregnancy. They Want a Voice To Stop the Trend.” (January 15, 2026)Â
