About CWI

We seek to renew cultural birth knowledge to empower and reclaim indigenous sovereignty of women’s medicine through women’s stories and life ways.

CWI is intentional in its weaving of a decolonized shared leadership model, seeking balance and harmony by prioritizing health policy, birth resiliency, and community engagement.

Who We Are

Changing Woman Initiative is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission to renew cultural birth knowledge to empower and reclaim indigenous sovereignty of women’s medicine and lifeway teachings to promote reproductive wellness, and healing through holistic approaches and to strengthen women’s bonds to family and community.

​Our future focus is to develop a culturally centered reproductive wellness and birth center. By creating a physical space for education and healing for Native American women, we will help reclaim cultural identities through birth and motherhood that have been shaped by our cultures.

Our present focus is to provide culturally integrated healthcare for the Native American/Indigenous women and families in the communities we serve.

Why This Project Is Important

Using the Midwifery wellness framework, we aim to address

  • Native American maternal health disparities contributing to preterm birth
  • Higher rates of gestational diabetes
  • Low birth weight babies in Indian Country

Access to healthcare continues to be an issue all over the United States and is a major contributing factor to the health and well-being of Native American mothers. Supporting our work through the funding of our wellness center, you are supporting a decolonized healthcare delivery model, that will have a direct impact on birth outcomes.

About Our Founder / Nicolle Gonzales

I am Navajo and my clan is Tl’aashchi’I, Red Bottom clan, born for Tachii’nii, Red Running into the Water clan. Hashk’aa hadzohi, Yucca fruit-strung-out-in-a line clan, and Naasht’ezhi dine’e, Zuni clan. Growing up on and off the Navajo reservation near Farmington, New Mexico our traditional healing practices have always been a part of my life.  I attribute my accomplishments to the many prayers and ceremonies done on my behalf as I was growing into the woman I am today. While obtaining my graduate education, it became apparent that our traditional healing practices and philosophies about “health” and “wellness” were vital to the care I provided as a Nurse Midwife.  It is with this deep understanding and respect for our way of life as indigenous peoples that my worldviews are based on and are reflected in the projects I participate in. My primary goal as a Nurse Midwife is to keep birth sacred and in native communities, by integrating and applying traditional knowledge.

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Nursing and a Master’s degree in Nurse Midwifery from the University of New Mexico. I have had the pleasure of being involved in several community projects since the completion of my education as well as being invited to serve on several health panels emphasizing cultural diversity in midwifery. In addition to my community service, I have served as a mentor for emerging Native American midwifery students at the University of New Mexico and continue to support future midwives.