Shaine Ansera is an Indigenous mama from the Pueblo of Acoma who uses her experiences as a young-ish mama of three (and hopefully more to come) to navigate the wild train ride that can come with parenthood and chest feeding in a “traditionally matriarchal” Indigenous tribe that is somehow simultaneously riddled with misogyny and outdated, westernized, bureaucracy. Her belief system is rooted in creating spaces and change in her home and extended communities so others do not feel alone in their journey and know that a better future is not only possible, but is and can be accessible NOW.

Shaine first worked with IWR as a model and spokesperson during the Kellogg Foundation’s segment on reclaiming traditional Pueblo clothing for chestfeeding accessibility. She joined the board in 2018 and has happily raised her children, her partner, and her family networks in a space where reproductive justice and bodily autonomy are no longer taboo topics.

She has been an administrator in both tribally-owned academics and in municipal government. She finds joy in the clerical administrative work that can be seen as mundane and tedious, because it helps to create systems of structure that improve the workflow and performance of those she influences, both directly and indirectly.