Childbirth Quote by James W. Loewen
“As a result of the sufferings and hard labor they endured, the Indians choose and have chosen suicide. Occasionally a hundred have committed mass suicide. The women, exhausted by labor, have shunned conception and childbirth . . . Many, when pregnant, have taken something to abort and have aborted. Others after delivery have killed their children with their own hands, so as not to leave them in such oppressive slavery.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Lies My Teacher Told Me, James W. Loewen, 1995
Systemic oppression can drive people to extreme despair, including suicide and infanticide, as a response to unbearable conditions.
In simple terms: Oppression may cause people to kill themselves or their children.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and address systemic injustice before it leads to tragedy.
Themes
oppression
despair
human rights
colonialism
Mood
sorrowful
urgent
reflective
Type
historical
social commentary
human rights
When to use this quote
- indigenous communities
- forced labor
- reproductive rights
- mental health interventions
Key Concepts
systemic racism
psychological trauma
social determinants of health
Questions to Reflect On
- What policies could prevent such extreme outcomes?
- How can societies heal historic trauma?
A Different Perspective
The quote may overlook individual agency and cultural factors beyond oppression.
![“No matter how thoroughly Native Americans acculturated, they could not succeed in white society. Whites would not let them. "Indians were always regarded as aliens, and were rarely allowed to live within white society except on its periphery," according to [Gary] Nash. Native Americans who amassed…” quote by James W. Loewen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/31e/james-w-loewen-12569_acculturated_no-matter-how-thoroughly-native-american_489063.jpg)
