Gaaodaapinaawasowad (Midwifery)

Communities are reclaiming traditions encircling Midwifery by honoring the mother/child connection in this 11 minute video. Elder's Kathy Forbister and Elsie Blackhawk, alongside Melissa Brown and Karen Kejick, discuss topics like birth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, rites of passage for women, and healthy sexuality. Exploring these traditions fosters self and cultural esteem and that is empowering for Indigenous women of all ages.

Historical midwifery practices are also remembered and celebrated for their expertise and knowledge around birthing, breach babies, tangled umbilical cords, and use of medicine water. Ceremonies involving the placenta, umbilical cord, family attendance during the birthing process, and the importance of having the child's name and clan in place are discussed. Reviving these traditions and situating them within contemporary experiences are part of an ongoing vision within the community.