The Birthing Tree

As I stood under it, looking up into the branches, listening as the wind rustled the leaves, I could hear my Kiju’s voice: “This tree holds our stories.”

Born under the shadow of a tree sacred to generations of Indigenous women, Aliet has been brought up by her fierce, loving grandmother, Kiju. Her father remains a mystery, and her mother died under that very tree, gently held by its cradle of roots as Aliet came into the world.

But now the world beyond their small community is changing. Local women are increasingly reluctant to follow traditional birthing rituals, and at the hospital, white doctors are sceptical of Indigenous practices. Aliet and Kiju are distraught to witness their prejudice turn into condemnation, but decades later, Aliet too will move away and work as a nurse in the city, administering modern medicine while still holding her grandmother’s wisdom dear.

When Kiju passes away suddenly, grief-stricken Aliet understands that she must return to the tree: only these roots can help her reconnect with her heritage, and discover long-buried secrets about herself. It is the start of Aliet’s journey to protect her land, her traditions, and the memory of the women who came before her, as she decides which parts of her inheritance she will carry into the future.