Strong Minds, Strong Families: Spiritual Health and Parenting

We Can Do Hard Things

Guest: Mel

In this episode of Strong Minds, Strong Families, hosts Josie and Maddy sit down with Mel Bailey, a midwife, nurse, and head of Maternal Child Health Services for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe. Mel shares her experiences supporting Indigenous families from pregnancy through early childhood, as well as her work training healthcare professionals in respectful and trauma-informed care. The conversation highlights holistic approaches to maternal health, cultural connection, and empowering birth workers to serve in low-resource and remote communities.

 

Resources: Box breath: Box Breathing

Reorienting: Grounding 5-4-3-2-1 Worksheet - General

Podcasts: Feminist Wellness: Podcast - Beatriz Victoria Albina

We Can Do Hard Things: We Can Do Hard Things

 

To learn more about the Increasing Health Literacy Project, or to access resources visit https://www.itcmi.org/home/departments/maternal-and-early-childhood-services/home-visiting-network/increasing-health-literacy/

All of the Medicine in your Backyard

Guest: Tashina

In this episode, hosts Maddy and Josie speak with Tashina Emery, a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Tashina introduces herself in her language, sharing her spirit name, Clearing of the Sky Cloud Woman, and her Turtle Clan identity.

She reflects on her mental health journey through motherhood, describing how her cultural roots, family, and connection to her ancestors have guided and grounded her. The conversation touches on the healing power of community and tradition, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming identity, balance, and self-compassion during major life transitions like becoming a parent.

Throughout the episode, Tashina offers thoughtful insights into what it means to heal generationally and maintain mental wellness through cultural connection and storytelling.

To learn more about the Increasing Health Literacy Project, or to access resources visit https://www.itcmi.org/home/departments/maternal-and-early-childhood-services/home-visiting-network/increasing-health-literacy/

Unity in the Community

Guest: Jen & Lexie Keshick

In this episode, hosts Josie and Maddy welcome Jen and Lexi Keshick from the Hannahville Indian Community. Married for 24 years with seven children and eleven grandchildren, they share insights from their work as certified facilitators for the Fatherhood and Motherhood is Sacred program through the Native American Fatherhood and Families Association (NAFFA).

Jenn and Lexi discuss how the program helps parents give their best in teaching and raising their children by strengthening relationships and connecting generations. Their mission focuses on supporting Indigenous families and returning to traditional teachings that nurture the heart, mind, body, and spirit.

They also describe their organization, PIE - Parenthood is Essential, which they founded during COVID as a way to uplift parents and build community. The conversation highlights their dedication to family, culture, and healing, offering both personal stories and practical advice for fostering resilience and connection within families.

To learn more about the Increasing Health Literacy Project, or to access resources visit https://www.itcmi.org/home/departments/maternal-and-early-childhood-services/home-visiting-network/increasing-health-literacy/

Welcome to the Strong Minds, Strong Families Podcast

In this episode of Strong Minds, Strong Families: Spiritual Health and Parenting, hosts Josie Babcock and Maddy Thompson share the story behind the creation of the podcast and the Increasing Health Literacy in the EUP project. Funded by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, this initiative aims to boost mental health literacy among tribal families in Michigan’s Eastern Upper Peninsula through community-driven approaches grounded in Indigenous values. Josie and Maddy reflect on their personal journeys into maternal and early childhood health, the importance of culturally rooted care, and their hopes for building stronger, more connected families.

To learn more about the Increasing Health Literacy Project, or to access resources visit https://www.itcmi.org/home/departments/maternal-and-early-childhood-services/home-visiting-network/increasing-health-literacy/