Stories

In Salluit, a remote Inuit community on the Hudson Strait, midwife Samantha Leclerc provides care through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period. The nearest hospital offering specialized care is a plane ride away, and there is no local capacity for caesarean sections. Midwives working here need extensive emergency skills and must carefully assess when someone can safely give birth in the comm

Joint Statement from NCIM & CAM: ICM Loses Credibility by Undermining Indigenous Midwifery June 19, 2026 The National Council of Indigenous Midwives (NCIM) and the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM), reject the International Confederation of Midwives’ (ICM) continued framing of Indigenous midwifery as one of terminology and professional standards, when the concerns raised by Indigenous midwive

For generations, Innu families were forced to leave their communities to give birth, far from their homes, families, language, and traditions.Reclaiming Birth follows four women as they train to become the next generation of Innu midwives, helping restore community-based birth and strengthen maternal and child health in Labrador's Innu communities.Through the advocacy of Innu leader Thea Penashue

Dr. Claire Dion Fletcher, Associate Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, is an Indigenous (Lenape & Potawatomi, mixed-settler) scholar whose research focuses on Indigenous reproductive justice and the resurgence of Indigenous midwifery. Her work examines how health systems, policy frameworks, and colonial histories shape Indigenous reproductive health and the role Indigenous midwifery can

Spirit of Birth is a documentary project developed by Rezolution Pictures that explores the resurgence of Indigenous midwifery in Canada. The film follows Indigenous midwives and communities as they work to rebuild culturally grounded systems of care and reconnect birth with land, language, and community. The project highlights the cultural and spiritual significance of birth and the leadership of

Reclaiming Indigenous Birth is a national storytelling and advocacy project that documents the experiences of Indigenous midwives and communities working to restore birth. Through interviews, films, and written stories, the project highlights the knowledge, leadership, and resilience of Indigenous birth workers.The project shares stories about:community-led midwifery programsthe impacts of birth e

An Indigenous-led interprofessional healthcare team strengthening the wellbeing of the urban Indigenous community. Call Auntie facilitates low barrier, wrap around care, with a strong commitment to culturally safe sexual and reproductive health justice.ImpactImpact statement hereCheryllee Bourgeois, a Red River Métis midwife and co-founder of Call Auntie in Toronto, Ontario, is passionate about th

A change to Quebec's professional regulations is helping expand Indigenous midwifery training in Eeyou Istchee by allowing trainees in community-based programs to perform the full scope of midwifery practice under supervision. The amendment means more Cree students can complete their training while remaining in their home communities.For Shannon Chiskamish, a trainee in Chisasibi, the change means

For the first time in more than 60 years, a baby has been born in Kehewin Cree Nation through a community-based midwifery program—the first program of its kind in an Alberta First Nation. The birth marked an important milestone in restoring traditional birthing practices and keeping families together in community.The birth incorporated Cree songs, smudging, the guidance of kokums (grandmothers), a