Aboriginal Women Reclaiming the Power
I have a dream…
…of attending a birth in my own community at Nipissing, I will go to a
woman’s home where her
extended family is there for support. Perhaps even my own daughter will
accompany me to help
with younger children. Perhaps the woman’s mother is there to help
prepare food and greet the
baby in the Nishnawbe language. The father will light a fire outside and
offer tobacco. We will
boil cedar for the postpartum bath. …Nishnawbe women are the
guardians of their culture,
families and communities. They will want to be a leading force in the
future development of
midwifery on their homelands. The professional practice of midwifery
reflects their traditional
This is the very future of our Nations” (Couchie & Nabigon, 1997).
The Aboriginal Health Organisation
recalls the tradition of midwifery in their report, Celebrating
Birth – Aboriginal Midwifery in Canada, published in 2008. This unique experience was shared
with all community members as traditionally nomadic peoples any person in the
community could be called upon to assist with birth if necessary. The wisdom to
support pregnant mothers was passed from Grandmother to daughter throughout
time where women were the holders of both the physical, mental, social, and
spiritual aspects of the birth experience. In many different Indigenous
languages the name midwife did not exist, but instead several titles existed
depending on the language of the peoples:
"woman who can do everything" "watch and care"
"A woman who's hands assists a child coming into this world"
"the helper" "the one who waits for birth" "women's helpers"
"the woman who catches the baby"
In 2017 it is time to make a bold and definite move to support
Aboriginal women in Canada. By recognizing the experience and knowledge which
has survived for countless generations of sharing and training our communities
will be strengthen through the participation of these women. Through the
heartiness and success of these peoples throughout time we can see evidence
that these methods were successful as evident through the Aboriginal population
today. The knowledge and experience these women possess will rebuild
relationships and establish health and vitality to their communities through
respect and support of their practises.
“Inuit midwives have been practising it for thousands and thousands of
years. Why not continue it? Why should we have to be so dominated by this
Western system and not practice our own ways? We have survived for over five
thousand years. Why not learn from the Inuit midwives?" (Melanie
Paniaq, Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada).
National Aboriginal Health Organization(NAHO). 2008. Celebrating Birth –
Aboriginal Midwifery in Canada. Ottawa: National Aboriginal Health
Organization. Accessed on March 27th, 2017:
On February 10th, 2017, Aboriginal Midwife Ellen Blais
announced that the government is establishing 6 Aboriginal Midwifery programs in
Ontario. The Dilico Family Health Team has hired 2 aboriginal Midwives to work
in their clinic. The midwives will travel out into the 13 communities they serve
and provide prenatal, birth, and 6 weeks post care for Aboriginal women in
the program using Aboriginal practises. The announcement includes 2 million dollars
in funding to establish 5 additional programs other Aboriginal communities
in northern Ontario. This initiative is an important landmark in Canadian
history as it recognized the inherent worth and dignity of Aboriginal women in
Canada and publicly declares to support their knowledge and experience. The oppression
and marginalization of Aboriginal women throughout Canadian history is a catastrophe.
After recognition the next step is empowering and building. Funding for
Aboriginal Midwifery is a direct action to give back maternal power and wisdom
to these women. Supporting their purpose and practise will assist them to
better serve their communities.
In further discussion is it interesting
to note that the article did not speak as to where or how the Aboriginal
midwives were trained. In Ontario to be certified as a midwife you must attend
a 4 year degree program at Ryerson University, be registered in another
province, or have your international certification transferred. In the
article it was not mentioned if the Aboriginal Midwives also became
certified in the way. Requiring an Aboriginal student to study in a
westernized program is arguably still an oppressive practise as it fails
to recognize the unique ownership of the knowledge and the experience of
Aboriginal Midwives passed doing through generations. As Melanie Paniaq stated
above Aboriginal midwives have been practising and passing down their knowledge
for thousands of years. An important discussion to furthering the practice of
Aboriginal Midwifery would be to establish a certification board headed by
experienced Aboriginal midwives who train and pass down their own
practises and indigenous ways of knowing. They should decide if a person
is experienced enough and has demonstrated commitment to their community similar to the training of other elders and leaders.
The best way to support Aboriginal women in Canada
is to recognize their strengths and compensate them for their practise.
From recent media stories about missing and exploited women in Canada it has become
startling how appalling Aboriginal women have been treated throughout the
history of colonization and how devalued they are today. Moving into the
future it is important to be just as aggressive in our approach to supporting
these women to establish safe and healthy futures for their families and
communities. An interest in Aboriginal midwifery is an
extraordinary opportunity to take the incredible strength, and generations of knowledge and
experience, of these women and use it to support their communities.
The National Aboriginal Health Board links Aboriginal
Midwifery with the health of all members of the nation. The community and
family centred approach to birthing encompasses the mother and new child in the
centre of the community creating powerful relationships from the moment of
birth. From when the child first hears their native tongue and are welcomed by
their people on their land a solid relationship is formed. In contrast the
thought of as Aboriginal child being born in the sterile, cold environment of a
city hospital in which western doctors deliver them in western ways and receive
them in western language appears cruel and barbaric. Proof that Aboriginal midwifery is successful is in the large pre colonial population which was welcome entirely through Aboriginal practice. The whole community is strengthened
through participation in the birthing even and the bond to the mother and child
and will provide support to them throughout their lives. Being born on their
land and in the folds of family and community is the centre of the goals for
Aboriginal Midwifery (NAHO 2015)
Alex, Cathy. "Ontario restores 'beautiful
ceremony' of birth by funding 6 Aboriginal midwifery programs" February
10th, 2017. CBC News, Thunder Bay. Accessed on April 1st, 2017.
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