Education is an essential part of restoring midwifery to Indigenous peoples across Canada. Throughout 2018, NCIM undertook a process to articulate the core competencies of Indigenous midwifery. Nine core competency areas were identified. Each of these areas were expanded on to identify the associated skills, subskills, knowledges, and abilities.

The intent of this document is to provide a competency framework which can be used to start growing and teaching Indigenous midwifery. This document can be adapted as communities and Nations input their own knowledge, traditions and ways.

Healthy, Safe Communities:
One Birth at a Time.

Indigenous midwifery knowledges and training must be brought home to our communities. As we work to grow Indigenous midwifery, we hope to increase the pathways to education for Indigenous midwifery students, decolonize training experiences, remove barriers to midwifery practice in our communities, and support retention.

We hope this this tool will help you recognize and understand the work of Indigenous midwives and that you will support us in our work to reclaim, grow and sustain Indigenous midwifery.


The Core Competencies project was done in partnership with Save the Children Canada (SCC) and with the support of the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM).

Please contact NCIM to join an upcoming webinar on the CORE COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK