The world’s largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights, and wellbeing of girls and women.
“Lucky are the mother and child who have known the strength and dedication of a midwife.”
Indigenous midwifery, cornerstone to reconciliation
by Claire Dion Fletcher
Inter Pares recognized the inspiring work of the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives and Clinic 554 with this year’s Peter Gillespie Social Justice Award. For the first time ever, the selection committee chose two critical organizations to receive the award: one which is working towards the sustainable return of birth to Indigenous communities; and the other which is the only out‑of‑hospital access for abortion services and sole LGBTQ clinic in New Brunswick.
The award was presented in Ottawa, on April 29 at the Inter Pares Activist Fair: Conversations on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. NACM Co‑Chair Claire Dion Fletcher received this award on behalf of NACM.
On April 22, Carol attended a breakfast session honouring Indigenous rights advocate Chief Wilton Littlechild, IPC, as an invited guest of Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown‑Indigenous Relations and His Excellency Mr. Marc‑André Blanchard, the Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations.
On April 23, Cheryllee and Doris, an apprentice midwife from Vilcashuamán, Peru, presented at a side event on preserving the ancestral knowledge of traditional Indigenous midwives: Indigenous midwives are keepers of a wealth of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health!
On April 24, Carol presented as part of a panel on Traditional Knowledge: Generation, Transmission and Protection.
This side‑event was organized by the Trilateral Working Group (Mexico, United States and Canada) and explored the role of Indigenous midwives in improving maternal health for Indigenous women, particularly for women in rural Indigenous communities and their role in transmitting and protecting traditional practices. The event also touched on broader maternal health practices in the context of eradicating violence through connection to culture.
On April 25, Cheryllee spoke during the hearing with Indigenous Peoples:
“The criminalization of Indigenous midwifery is just one way of perpetrating violence against Indigenous women.”
This is an opportunity for Canada to demonstrate to the world its response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report, compliance to the Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and commitment to improve the quality of health services delivered to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis Peoples and to ensuring Indigenous Peoples have control over their health services and programs. Bringing birth back to a community has enormous cultural significance and positive effects in all areas of community health, including for women and their babies.
Commit to universal cost coverage for contraceptives for all as part of a call for a national public drug plan that is universal, public and single‑payer, comprehensive safe and effective, accessible and affordable.
This would inform the public of the crucial role sex‑ed plays in advancing gender equality, preventing gender‑based violence, preventing bullying, promoting health, and empowering youth.
A warm welcome to new members of the Leadership team this year, including Brenda Epoo (Inukjuak), Alisha Julien Reid (Fredericton), Hope McLennan (Alberta) and new Student Representative, Doriesha Watson-States (studying in Toronto, but from the Atlantic Region).
CAM (represented by Tonia Occhionero and Nathalie Pambrun) and NACM (represented by Carol Couchie, Ellen Blais and Alisha Nicole Apale) met with senior staff to advance our government relations work.
We met with policy directors from the offices of the Status of Women Canada, Indigenous Services Canada and Health Canada.
Nathalie Pambrun is a Franco‑Manitoban Métis midwife who has practiced in urban, rural and remote communities across Canada and internationally. Bridging environmental and reproductive justice movements at the community level, she embraces a human rights approach that effectively respects the coming generations. She is committed to midwifery care that is accessible, equitable, and culturally safe.
Nathalie has also been a member of the Core Leadership of the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives since its inception, and has served a two‑year term as the organization’s Co‑Chair from 2011 to 2012.