Indigenous Women Rising

Background

Rachael Riley Lorenzo founded Indigenous Women Rising in 2014 as an awareness campaign for clients of the federal Indian Health Service who were denied the “Plan B” emergency contraceptive drug, which it claimed was a serious problem due to high rates of sexual assault on reservations. The group was conceived as a health-care equity initiative, but it is also dedicated to left-of-center racial-justice narratives, with the group stating: “We reclaim what colonialism and white supremacy have tried to strip from us: idenity [sic], culture, tradition, and language.” ²

Indigenous Women Rising is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ³

Activities

As of 2026, Indigenous Women Rising’s activities were split into three funds. The Rain Fund was described as a “mutual aid resource for native people” seeking “funding & reproductive care” while retaining anonymity for the patients and making abortion services, especially with “culturally competent healthcare providers,” more accessible. The Emergence Fund is a “mutual aid resource” that supports “sovereign” or culturally traditional birthing practices in Indigenous communities. The MoonPie Fund aims to provide menstrual hygiene and contraceptive products for Indigenous individuals in the United States and Canada. ^{4 5 6}

Affiliates

Bold Futures NM advocates for pregnant women and girls interested in getting abortions to consult an abortion doula, referring interested persons to Indigenous Women Rising as well as the New Mexico Doula Association, the Changing Women Initiative, and Tewa Women United. It states that abortion doulas help pregnant women and girls overcome any emotional, spiritual, cultural, or social concerns when considering an abortion. It also advises girls as young as 13 that they can consult an abortion doula, in addition to obtaining an abortion, without having to notify their parents. ⁷

Financials

In 2024, Indigenous Women Rising reported $1,638,586 in revenues, $1,960,129 in expenses, and net assets of $2,316,229. ⁸

Leadership

As of 2026, Indigenous Women Rising was led by co-executive directors Rachael Riley Lorenzo and Shaine Ansera. ⁹

Rachael Riley Lorenzo, who identifies as “queer” and “nonbinary” and goes by they/them pronouns, is a left-of-center activist who focuses on Indigenous rights. Lorenzo founded the group in 2014. She has consulted on various political campaigns, including holding a fellowship on President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign known as Obama for America (OFA). As of 2026, Lorenzo was also serving as an Assistant Commissioner of Cultural Resources at the New Mexico State Land Office. ^{1 2}

Shaine Ansera belongs to a “traditionally matriarchal” Indigenous tribe that she laments is “somehow simultaneously riddled with misogyny and outdated, westernized, bureaucracy.” Ansera’s first role with Indigenous Women Rising was as a spokesperson while the W. K. Kellogg Foundation was covering the group for a segment on “reclaiming traditional Pueblo clothing for chestfeeding accessibility.” In 2018, she joined the Indigenous Women Rising board. Prior to her time at the group, Ansera worked as an administrator for government and tribal offices. ¹⁰