New Mexico lawmakers seek study of forced sterilization of Indigenous women

New Mexico lawmakers plan to introduce a memorial to study the scope and ongoing impacts of forced and coerced sterilization of Indigenous women and women of color, according to SourceNM. Jean Whitehorse (Navajo) told lawmakers she was coerced into signing a form during a medical emergency at an Indian Health Service facility in Gallup, later learning the procedure left her unable to have more children. A 1976 U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that 3,406 women were sterilized over four years in four Indian Health Service areas, though the review covered only part of the system, leaving the total number unknown.

State Sens. Shannon Pinto (Diné) and Linda Lopez plan to advance the memorial during the 2026 legislative session, SourceNM reported. The proposal would direct the Legislative Health and Human Services Committee, in collaboration with the Indian Affairs Department, to present findings and recommendations by the end of 2027. Advocates including Keely Badger and Elena Giacci (Diné) told lawmakers the practice created deep mistrust of health care systems and called for acknowledgment of the trauma experienced by survivors.