Bringing birth back into Indigenous communities

For thousands of years and up until a few generations ago, Indigenous babies were born on the land. They were born in their communities, surrounded by culture, with the help of expert birth workers – women who knew just what to do when the water broke.

Colonization and the western medical system nearly destroyed Indigenous birthing traditions, but people like Ellen Blais are bringing birth home. Ellen is from the Oneida Nation of the Thames. She’s a trained midwife and currently serves as the Director of Indigenous Midwifery for the Association of Ontario Midwives.

Ellen’s vision to see birth returned to Indigenous communities will certainly become reality if young doulas and birth workers have anything to say about it. We find out what a doula does and why Tagwanibisan Armitage-Smith, Gina Loodit and Madison White want to help bring our babies into the world surrounded by culture.

Opolahsomuwehs - also known by her English name as Imelda Mary Perley - is a Wolastoquey elder, knowledge keeper, and doula from St. Mary’s First Nation in New Brunswick. She says a doula’s job isn’t only to support the person about to give birth; they must also prepare the community for the arrival of its newest member.

The Cree Health Board in northern Quebec is another group that’s bringing birth back into Indigenous communities. In 2017, the board re-established birthing services in the village of Chisasibi. In 2021, its midwifery team opened a temporary birthing home there with the goal of eventually opening three permanent birthing homes in the region. The health board also intends to launch a midwifery education program in June 2023 so that future Cree midwives don’t have to travel south for their education. Denise Perusse was the interim birth home coordinator in Chisasibi. One she day hopes to become a midwife.