Window Rock, Ariz. (AP) • As the sun begins to set on a blustery fall day, the rugged buttes of Navajoland glow red in the soft light and swift gusts spiral dust through the air.
About 40 women, most draped in traditional dress, stand in a circle as Melissa Brown, an indigenous midwife, asks the group to reflect on the day just ending — and the mission still ahead.
"We have talked about being safe here. That is our goal," she tells them. "We're going to cry, and we're going to laugh. And that's OK.