HONOLULU (KHON2) — A joint report submitted on Tuesday, April 8, to the United Nations is raising alarms about a proposed bill, HB1194, which could impose strict regulations on midwifery in Hawaiʻi.
Laulani Teale, a Native Hawaiian cultural practitioner and midwife, has voiced strong opposition to the bill, which has already passed both the House of Representatives and the Hawaiʻi Senate and is awaiting a final vote.
Teale emphasized that that the bill threatens the rights of Native Hawaiian families to choose culturally appropriate birth care.
“Our people are asking for the freedom to choose who attends them in their sacred space of birth,” Teale said. “They are NOT asking for regulation. They simply want the right to decide who touches their bodies.”
HB1194, which seeks to regulate midwifery practice, has sparked a backlash from homebirth parents, cultural practitioners and reproductive rights advocates.
“The people whose bodies are in question are speaking out,” Teale pointed out. “Medical professionals are important; but they should not control the choices of birthing people, especially Indigenous people.”
The submission to the United Nations highlights the broader issue of systemic discrimination against Indigenous birthing practices and the knowledge holders who preserve them.
“I don’t think people really understand how important midwifery is here in Hawaiʻi,” said Representative Amy Perruso, District 46. “We have rural areas where doctors and nurses are few and far between, and midwives are providing an essential service. This is not just about a profession; it’s about a woman’s right to choose how and where she gives birth.”
Teale insisted that no one should have the right to interfere with the choice of who supports a person during labor.
“This is a major violation of human rights,” she said.
As HB1194 moves toward its final vote, Teale urged lawmakers to consider the voices of Indigenous families and vote against the bill.
“People deserve 100% of decisions about their own bodies, and those choices should not be interfered with by anyone,” she stated firmly.
“I’m still baffled by the response. It doesn’t make sense,” said Representative Elle Cochran, District 14. “It became an issue of power and politics. But at the end of the day, it’s about women’s rights and the need for access to healthcare services.”
You can click here to read the bill.
KHON2.com has reached out for comments from Hawaiʻi State Representatives Linda Ichiyama and Lisa Marten, who are in support of HB1194. We have not heard back but will update with any statements provided.