Indigenous Motherwork in Crisis: Caregiving, Resistance, and Community Survival During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study describes the lived experiences of Indigenous mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on caregiving strategies, resilience, and leadership within their families and communities while navigating systemic gendered and racial inequalities. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified long-standing structural inequities, disproportionately impacting Indigenous communities. As primary caregivers and cultural stewards, Indigenous mothers faced intensified burdens, including economic precarity, expanded domestic labor, and systemic exclusions. Their caregiving, however, functioned as a site of resistance, reinforcing intergenerational survivance and asserting Indigenous sovereignty through relational care. A total of 31 critical ethnographic interviews were conducted with Indigenous mothers following an Indigenous research framework. Interviews explored survival strategies, power dynamics, and responsibilities amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Emergent themes included prioritizing survival needs, navigating institutional barriers, and exercising cultural resilience in caregiving. Despite increased family community and sociopolitical stressors, Indigenous mothers demonstrated adaptability, leadership, and collective strength. Indigenous mothers demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness in sustaining their families and communities amid the COVID-19 crisis. Their experiences underscore the need for culturally responsive interventions and policies that recognize and support Indigenous mothering as a foundation for community well-being. Findings highlight the urgency of policy reforms, targeted resource allocation, and culturally affirming support systems that empower Indigenous mothers as leaders and caregivers. Investing in their well-being strengthens entire communities.