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New Mexico opens probe into forced sterilization of Native women
Summary
New Mexico lawmakers approved a measure directing the state Indian Affairs Department and the Commission on the Status of Women to investigate forced and coerced sterilizations of Native American women, with findings due to the governor by the end of 2027.
Content
State lawmakers in New Mexico have approved a measure to study forced and coerced sterilizations of Native American women that occurred in and around the 1970s. The legislation assigns the state Indian Affairs Department and the Commission on the Status of Women to examine the history, scope and continuing impact. The agencies are expected to report their findings to the governor by the end of 2027. The inquiry responds to accounts from survivors and long-standing concerns raised by advocates.
Key facts:
- A 1976 U.S. Government Accountability Office audit found that the Indian Health Service performed 3,406 sterilizations in four of its 12 service areas between 1973 and 1976; advocates say the full scope may be larger than that audit covered.
- Survivors and advocates have described cases in which women later learned they had been sterilized or said they were pressured or misled when asked to sign consent forms, and some have testified publicly and to international bodies.
- The new state measure tasks two state agencies with fact-finding, includes groundwork for a separate healing commission, and calls for a formal acknowledgment of the history.
- Federal agencies, including the Indian Health Service and the Department of Health and Human Services, did not respond to requests for comment in reporting, and experts say lack of federal cooperation could limit the investigation's reach.
Summary:
New Mexico's inquiry is intended to document reported sterilizations and their continuing effects and to create an official record as described by survivors and advocates. The state agencies must submit a report to the governor by the end of 2027. The level of federal cooperation is uncertain and may affect the investigation's scope.
