Kayeden, Pine Ridge, SD

When I emailed Charlynn, a young Lakota friend, to let her know I would soon visit Pine Ridge, she replied that I would get to meet her son. I was surprised, as I had not known she was pregnant, having seen her just a few months earlier living with her partner Adelita. Inquiring further, I learned that Adelita’s sister-in-law, only weeks after her third child was born, had become pregnant again. Distraught, the parents did not feel ready or able to raise a fourth child, nor did they believe in abortion.

Without hesitation, Charlynn and Adelita offered to raise the child as their own. The parents enthusiastically accepted the offer, and a few weeks after Kayeden was born, the mother handed him over to his aunts. He will be raised knowing who his biological parents and siblings are, and knowing his adoptive parents will always be there for him. Everyone will openly share their love and responsibility to help ensure the boy has the best upbringing they can give him.

When I arrived at the reservation and saw everyone’s joy over this baby, I truly understood for the first time why my Lakota friends are pro-life. I could not help but honor their generous and loving choice, which clearly is accepted as completely natural in their culture. I wondered how such an event would be received if it happened in my own community.