USBC Membership Meeting Mission Moment: Strengthening Families Through the First Medicine

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee hosted the Fall Membership Meeting on Thursday, September 25. The biannual virtual event brings together representatives from the approximately 140 member organizations that comprise the USBC member network and work collaboratively to drive policy and practice changes that create a landscape of breastfeeding support. 

At the opening of the meeting, USBC Board Member Stephanne Rupnicki delivered the “Mission Moment”, a meeting-opening practice that serves to connect our work to the people we serve and the positive and impactful change we seek. In the transcript below, Stephanne sheds light on the significance of our work in breastfeeding for Indigenous communities.

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Stephanne Rupnicki
Elected Director, U.S. Breastfeeding Committee ​Board of Directors

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Boozhoo, relatives. As we gather, we remember that we are on Turtle Island, a land that has always sustained life and carries teachings about balance, reciprocity, and responsibility. Turtle reminds us that life is precious, that we must move with intention, and that every generation depends on the care we offer today. 

​My mission is to center Indigenous mothers, birthing people, and our youngest ones. They carry within them not only the hope of tomorrow, but the wisdom and strength of all who came before. When we honor and uplift them, we are strengthening the circle of life itself.​

This is why our work in breastfeeding matters so deeply. Human milk is more than nutrition; it is medicine, immunity, and connection. It is a living teaching of how our bodies sustain life, just as this land sustains us. Breastfeeding carries forward traditions that colonization tried to break, but could never erase. By protecting and promoting breastfeeding, we are reclaiming what is ours, a practice rooted in love, community, and sovereignty. 

Our mission is not only about health outcomes. It is about restoring balance, dignity, and cultural knowledge. It is about ensuring that every parent has the support they need, that every infant is welcomed in a good way, and that traditional teachings guide our paths forward. 

Let us commit to listening deeply, walking alongside families, amplifying Indigenous voices, and ensuring that no mother or baby is left unseen or unsupported. 

When we protect breastfeeding, we protect our Nations. We strengthen families, honor our ancestors, and prepare the way for generations yet to come. 

Mno gishget, may this be a good day, and may our work always be guided by commitment, action, and hope. 

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​To review prior Mission Moments, please access them on our DEI webpage, and to learn more about joining the USBC membership network, please explore our website and complete the Membership Interest Form. Member organizations are listed in the Member Directory.