Meet Mamata Barry Aka (Indigo Blackbird)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mamata Barry Aka (Indigo Blackbird) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mamata Barry aka, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Many of us enter motherhood carrying inherited beliefs about what a woman is supposed to be, what she’s worth, and how she’s allowed to exist. But when you’re bringing life into the world, you’re faced with the opportunity and responsibility to define that for yourself. At the core of my work is helping women reclaim their self-worth: how they see themselves, define who they are, and move through life from that place. Without that foundation, women often don’t realize they can choose differently from what’s offered, demand better, or create new possibilities for themselves and their families.

Too often, what’s presented as care is outdated, rooted in racism, bias, oppression, and fear, and it fails to honor the full spectrum of women’s experiences, including those who are neurodiverse. My business exists to bridge that gap through integrated, holistic support that strengthens both outcomes and lived experience. From pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, to leading households and raising children as their first teacher, women who reconnect to their self-worth gain the clarity, intention, and authority to make empowered choices shaping not just their own lives, but the lives of their children, families, and communities for generations.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
What sets my work apart is that I’ve been able to support clients beyond my immediate environment, across borders and into different cultures. This work has opened doors for me to travel, and along the way, I’ve built relationships, friendships, and chosen family in places I never could have imagined.

Most recently, I returned from Ghana, where I traveled to deepen my studies in traditional birthwork and healing. I learned alongside traditional midwives, certified nurse midwives (CNMs), and students at the beginning of their journeys, while also sitting with priests and priestesses of indigenous spiritual systems. I courted and experienced plant medicine, witnessed and participated in ceremony, and experienced firsthand how birth, healing, and community are understood and practiced outside of Western frameworks.

This work is also supported by personal projects I’m developing through grant funding, with a larger vision in mind: to help bridge allopathic and traditional medicine, and to reconnect the diaspora to ancestral knowledge in meaningful, accessible ways.

Out of that vision, I’m building a postpartum course that makes this wisdom accessible by integrating holistic, traditional practices with practical care women can actually apply in their daily lives.

The Anointed Hand is the embodiment of all of this. It represents the integration of my many skills, experiences, and callings—creating space for women to return to themselves fully, to understand their worth, and to move through life with agency, intention, and support. This work is global, ancestral, and deeply rooted in service.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If my best friend were here, first, I’d take her to some of my personal favorites of Colorado’s most beautiful nature and wildlife: Garden of the Gods, Rocky Mountain Park, and Arsenal Wildlife Refuge.

Next, we’d explore the history and culture of the area, learning about the indigenous people and how to honor and acknowledge them by visiting cave dwellings, checking out Red Rocks Amphitheater, and diving into the intriguing dinosaur history.

Then, we’d go on adventures, enjoy those spots, grab amazing smoothies, meet free-spirited people, and discover local gems and crystals. After that, we’d hit the Denver Flea Market to get fresh produce and connect with the community.

Finally, in the city, we’d do something hands-on and creative, like making pottery, visit my artsy friends in their studios, and of course, take some much-needed self-care time.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To anyone who has worn the title of mother, and to the future generations who will, I see you. I know it can be exhausting, thankless, and isolating, especially when the world shames you for your struggles. You are exactly who I’m building this for, and seeing you thrive means everything. You are the pillar of society, essential to all life, and I honor that position.

I want to give thanks to the women and men who have walked this journey with me—my ancestors, mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins and play cousins, sisters, brothers, uncles, lovers, friends, mentors, and guides. The people who have been there through grief, challenge, and transition, & also through joy, celebration, and dance. Thank you for showing me how to move through life with resilience, delight, & integrity. Whether you are still part of my life or not, the lessons you taught me have shaped the foundation that allows me to create something bigger than our individual experiences, and for that I am deeply grateful.

Without all of you, the work I do, the community I hold and support, and the impact I am able to make would be meaningless.

Website: https://theanointedhand.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theanointedhand?igsh=aTZubDQ3NTJ1Yndj&utm_source=qr

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@theanointedhand?si=UMERfMOoiDc8aJUk