The investigation into the forced sterilization of Indigenous women in New Mexico is facing hurdles. Advocates warned that uncovering the full truth will take more time than expected.
State lawmakers tasked the New Mexico Commission on the Status of Women and the New Mexico Indian Affairs Department to spearhead a “statewide plan of action.” The initiative includes interviewing survivors and working with the Indian Health Service to identify all cases of forced sterilization from 1907 to 2018.
New Mexico Senate Memorial 14 sets the results of the investigation to be released by December 2027. This timeline, officials said, may be too tight.
“December 2027 sounds far away, but it’s not,” said Josett Monette, cabinet secretary of the Indian Affairs Department. Monette stressed the urgency of the probe. Although the deadline is years away, the time is short considering the complexity of the investigation. “Some of the investigation will be difficult and time-consuming. I’m not sure we’re going to get everything done in time.”
Trauma, distrust slow search for truth
The biggest barrier, according to advocates, is not bureaucracy alone. Trust is.
The probe depends heavily on the statements from Indigenous women. Many of them carry deep trauma and historical distrust of government institutions and Western medicine. “We believe the work goes at the speed of trust,” said Rachael Lorenzo of Indigenous Women Rising.
She said the probe could take months — even a year — to reach communities and assure survivors it is safe to come forward. “Considering the history of forced sterilization and the distrust that our native communities have of the Western medical system, it could take a long time,” she said.
A history buried in silence
According to a briefing from the New Mexico Memorial & Truth and Reconciliation Commission, more than 70,000 forced or coerced sterilizations were performed by the Indian Health Service and its contractors between 1960 and 1978.
By the middle of 1970s, 4 out of 10 to as many as 5 out of 10 child-bearing Indigenous women had been sterilized. A disproportionate number of these cases were linked to New Mexico.
This number of cases underscores what advocates picture as a systemic violation of reproductive rights — and this has remained largely hidden for decades.
Documents, cooperation remain uncertain
Beyond survivors’ testimonies, probers could face another big challenge. That is access to records. Officials said the Indian Health Service’s cooperation is crucial, but uncertain.
Researchers involved in the project have expressed apprehension that obtaining documents could be slow, if not incomplete, which could force investigators to rely more heavily on community accounts. “We’re going to need to hear from community voices,” Monette said.