2. Women's Perspectives - Christian Aboriginal Infrastructure ...

In sharing their views about care of the family, Aboriginal women spoke about
midwifery, child care and concerns about youth, the elderly and ways of making a living.
8.1 Birth and Midwifery
Inuit women described the importance of midwifery and the problems they face in having
this long-practised tradition recognized. (The issues surrounding midwifery are also
covered in Volume 3, Chapter 3.) A research report prepared for us demonstrated that the
traditional practice of midwifery was integral to a way of life in which birth was
experienced close to the land…and was not only essential to the physical survival of
successive generations, but also served to foster significant social relationships among
those who participated in the life cycle event of birth. The legacy of traditional midwifery
knowledge, passed from one generation to another, continues to be regarded as an
important conveyor of cultural knowledge and identity, and as a source of esteem among
Aboriginal women. 101
Martha Greig of Pauktuutit pointed out in her presentation that, until recently, Inuit
women gave birth on the land. This practice began to change during the 1950s and 1960s
when families moved from their traditional camps into permanent settlements. In the
settlements, births took place at the nursing station, often with a nurse-midwife and Inuit
midwives in attendance. By the 1970s the federal government had decided that all births
should take place in hospitals. Inuit women living in communities without hospital
services were evacuated by air to a regional centre like Iqaluit or to southern Canada.
Today, almost all Inuit children are born in a regional hospital far from home and family.
The research study points out that the current debate about the future of midwifery in the
north raises questions about appropriate legislation, mechanisms of registration and
licensing, educational requirements and models of training, as well as questions about
safety, acceptable levels of risk, and financial costs. It goes on to note that many of these
questions remain unanswered, while little effort is being put into the development of
concrete midwifery options. Aboriginal women have been absent or under-represented in
the power structures that retain control over maternity health services, but they are
playing a lead role in efforts to change the situation:
Unfortunately, the debate we often find ourselves engaged in is premised on a disrespect
for our history and for the knowledge and skills which many of our elders still posses.
We often find ourselves on the defensive, endlessly declaring that we, too, are concerned
about maternal and infant mortality rates. We have not been allowed to engage in this
debate as equals….Changes [need to be] made to the health care system to allow women
to regain control of pregnancy and childbirth. In many areas, this may mean the
development of regional birthing centres; in others, it might mean providing nursing
stations, with the necessary staff and equipment to safely accommodate childbirth. In all
cases, it means utilizing the skills of Inuit elders as teachers and midwives and setting up
training or apprenticeship programs.
78