Farrah Ka’Healani Rivera is a Perinatal Advocate with an out of hospital in midwifery lens. Her experience serving community began as the eldest child and cousin of her ever growing ohana in Hawai’i. Surrounded by pregnant family members, community and their little babies, Farrah gravitated towards the parental and child connection; grounding her understanding that community involvement is vital to support, raise and love children. Her time in Los Angeles, CA as domestic violence activist, community doula, wombyn circle facilitator added to this gravitation, setting a guiding light in her passion to advocate for pregnant people. Farrah attended and completed her Masters in Midwifery at Bastyr University and has experienced the different birthing environments in Southern California, Hawai’i and Washington. It was during this time, her family shared with her that her great grandmother, great grandfather and great aunt, Salome, Francis and Magdalena Mendoza also delivered babies in their province of Abra, on the island of Luzon. This generational connection fuels her interest in culturally responsive perinatal care for BIPOC & LGBTQ+ communities.
Farrah’s midwifery and perinatal advocacy work continues as a professor at Bastyr University, Academic Director of Cedar Medicine School of Midwifery, Board member of Center for Indigenous Midwifery and a Clan Mother of Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services.
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