To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National Aboriginal Health Organiza-tion NAHO has planned a number of activities.. Several midwives from Nunavik attended the Aboriginal Women an
Trang 1To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-tion (NAHO) has planned a number of activities NAHO’s activities will culminate in a panel discussion in Ottawa on Aboriginal women’s contribu-tion to the health of their communities
Please consult the NAHO website for more details www.naho.ca
O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6 Women’s History Month
Supporting midwives: important caregivers in the
North
By the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre
Imagine a day when most Inuit women can give birth in their home communities
Right now, many expectant mothers in the Arctic have to travel to larger centres or to
southern Canada to give birth because the necessary health services don’t exist in their own
community or region Many new mothers want to have their baby in their own community
near family and friends, not in a hospital far away
Inuit midwives and birthing centres in the North are helping to make that happen Birthing
centres like those in Inukjuak, Salluit and Puvirnituq in Nunavik and Rankin Inlet, Nunavut,
are allowing women to stay in their community to give birth Midwives are well respected
and highly skilled, providing a wonderful service to women and families in the North
The Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre has made important connections with Inuit midwives and
maternity care workers over the past two years Several midwives from Nunavik attended
the Aboriginal Women and Girls’ Health Roundtable in Ottawa in April 2005, hosted by the
National Aboriginal Health Organization There, they told the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre that
there was a real need for midwives across the Arctic to have a strong support network
Seeing the possibilities, the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre jumped onboard to help midwives
connect with colleagues in other Inuit regions, and provide them with information and
resources on midwifery, infant care and other issues
The result: a virtual information-sharing network, called Irnisuksiiniq-Inuit Midwifery
Network It uses many forms of telecommunications to keep participants connected, from
teleconference to fax to an e-mail listserve and an information Web site
(www.inuitmidwifery.ca)
In this issue
pg.1 Supporting midwives: Important caregivers in the North
By the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre
pg.2 The Role of Métis Women in the Transmission of Traditional Knowledge
By the Métis Centre
pg.3 Jidwah:doh documentary has been selected for screening as part of the
imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival
pg.4 First Nations Midwifery Advisory Circle
By the First Nations Centre
pg.5 How to find what you’re looking for on the Canadian Health Network
(CHN)
National Aboriginal Health Organization
National Aboriginal Health Organization
E-Bulletin E-Bulletin October 2006
Trang 2Women’s History Month
The Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre believes the
Irnisuksiiniq-Inuit Midwifery Network is an
ideal way to:
• Provide midwives and maternity care
workers with up-to-date resources and the
latest research on the midwifery field
• Connect Inuit midwives in remote
commu-nities to midwives working in other Inuit
regions
• Inform midwives and maternity care
workers of upcoming gatherings, training,
and events related to their field
• Assist midwives and maternity care
workers to share their stories and experiences
with other professionals
The Irnisuksiiniq-Inuit Midwifery Network’s Web site went online in spring 2006 and now boasts a site rich with resources Currently in English and French, the Web site will be online in Inuktitut in late fall
The Ajunnginq (Inuit) Centre encourages midwives, maternity care workers and others with an interest in advancing midwifery to join the network by emailing us at
inuitmidwifery@naho.ca
The Role of Métis Women in the Transmission of Traditional Knowledge
By the Métis Centre
Métis women have historically played a significant role in their communities, how-ever, the influences of colonization have often negatively redefined those roles These changes have impacted Métis women’s role
as individuals and in their own families, as well as how others perceive them During the 19th Century, Métis women contributed to the strength of their community in unprec-edented ways The place they occupied led
to a matrilineal Métis system and a model for community organization
Assimilation worked to dismantle this Métis community organization and increasing colonization left Métis women in the shad-ows for a good portion of the 20th century
Communities that were once familiar with women having lead roles in co-ordination with men the effects of assimilation leading
to the destruction of traditional community ties to women
Even though major changes have occurred during the past century, Métis women have maintained their strength over the years through the knowledge and beliefs they have collected from all maternal ancestors
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-tion (NAHO) has planned a number of activities NAHO’s activities will culminate in a panel discussion in Ottawa on Aboriginal women’s contribu-tion to the health of their communities
Please consult the NAHO website for more details www.naho.ca
Trang 3O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6 Women’s History Month
Bonds between women and their
communi-ties have been tested over time, affected by
colonization, economic hardships, political
inequities and social marginalization Métis
women’s connections to land, water,
medi-cines, knowledge and customs stayed
consis-tent throughout these tests Transmission of
the traditional knowledge shared between
Métis women is integral to Métis identity
and, unfortunately, its importance is often
under-emphasized Increasing of the
trans-mission of traditional knowledge between
Métis women builds pride and a stronger
sense of identity that is best reflected in the
development of younger generations
Community Involvement
All members of a Métis community rely on
the knowledge of Métis women Both rural
and urban Métis communities “own” a body
of knowledge that is unique to their
commu-nity, yet representative of an identity that is
broadly Métis Land, language, place,
community, spirituality and medicines are
connected to women in different ways than to
men For Métis women, community
connect-edness links all of these aspects together
Therefore, community consultation is key to
the transmission of Traditional Knowledge
Métis women and elders hold a great deal of
practical and procedural knowledge,
espe-cially in terms of women’s health issues
Specific issues, such as birthing procedures,
midwifery, menstruation and childcare, as
well as broader issues dealing with family,
community and social values, education,
communication, nutrition, and water and
spirituality are all areas of expertise for many
women and elders
For the people in the community, women are
the key to health and to addressing illnesses
Their role(s) as mothers and grandmothers extends beyond their own family and they have been continually respected as the leaders in Métis community health
Barkwell, Lawrence, Leah Dorian and Darren Prefontaine, Métis Legacy, Pemmican: Winnipeg, 2001: 15
Barkwell: 15 Barkwell: 15 Bartlett, Judith, “Developing Indicators and Measures of Well-Being for Métis Women in Manitoba” Master of Science Thesis, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba: 2004: 106 Barkwell: 15
Mitchell: 36
Jidwah:doh documentary has been selected for screening as part of the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival
Jidwa:doh: Let's Become Again, Indigenous Elders Summit 2004 is a 50-minute DVD
directed by Dr Dawn Martin-Hill on behalf
of the Indigenous Elders and Youth Council
It records the events that took place during the Indigenous Elders Summit held at Six Nations of the Grand River Territory in 2004
Elders from throughout the hemisphere joined together at this historic event to discuss ways to heal Indigenous nations from historical trauma and to provide direction for action in response to social and health concerns Elders speaking in this DVD include: Tom Porter (Mohawk); Chief Arvol Looking Horse (Lakota); Dr Maria Yellow Horse Brave Heart (Lakota); Leon Secetaro (Navajo); Elizabeth Penashue (Innu); Renie Jobin (Lubicon Cree); and Luciano Mutum-bajoy (Union of Yagé Healers, Colombia)
All stress the importance of retaining and employing Indigenous knowledge in all aspects of healing
The imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival is an annual four-day international festival held in downtown Toronto, which
National Aboriginal Health Organization
National Aboriginal Health Organization
E-Bulletin E-Bulletin October 2006
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-tion (NAHO) has planned a number of activities NAHO’s activities will culminate in a panel discussion in Ottawa on Aboriginal women’s contribu-tion to the health of their communities
Please consult the NAHO website for more details www.naho.ca
Trang 4Women’s History Month
showcases the latest works by established
and emerging Aboriginal artists on the
forefront of innovation in film, video, radio,
and new media Each fall the festival
presents a selection of the most compelling
and distinctive Indigenous works from
around the globe The 7th Annual
imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts
Festival is taking place from October 18 to
22
NAHO is proud to have provided support to
the successful hosting of the International
Indigenous Elders Summit and to the
Indig-enous Elders and Youth Council We
congratulate the IEYC and Dr Dawn
Martin-Hill on being selected to participate in
this year’s festival
For further information about events and
screening venues visit
www.imagineNATIVE.org
First Nations Midwifery Advisory
Circle
The development of a First Nations
Midwifery Advisory Circle (FNMAC) came
from outcomes and recommendations of the
Aboriginal Women and Girls’ Health
Round-table (AWGHR), co-hosted by First Nations
and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) and the
National Aboriginal Health Organization
(NAHO) in April 2005 The event provided
an opportunity to identify next steps on how
Aboriginal women can reclaim their role in
the birthing of their children as a critical
element to wellness The establishment of an
Aboriginal Advisory Circle on Midwifery
was recommended as a way to guide FNIHB
in supporting Aboriginal women to return
safe birthing to their communities
A one-day meeting was held at the NAHO
office in Ottawa on March 27, 2006 to
develop draft terms of reference and a draft
governance structure for the Midwifery
Advisory Circle, which was initially intended
to incorporate First Nations and Inuit repre-sentatives It was subsequently decided that First Nations and Inuit advisory circles should be established separately to reflect the distinct and unique aspirations and experi-ences of these respective groups This approach is aligned with First Nations leaders’ rejection of pan-Aboriginal approaches, clearly stated in Resolution 104/04, carried at the December 2004 Special Chiefs Assembly
A critical determinant of improved First Nations maternal and child health to which midwifery can contribute is the self-determination of First Nations women, their families and their communities First Nations jurisdiction in the protection and promotion
of the health and well-being of their member-ship emanates from inherent Aboriginal and Treaty Rights recognized in the Canadian Constitution and by-law making authorities under the Indian Act
The FNMAC is mandated to facilitate information exchange and dialogue on midwifery More specifically, the FNMAC will: identify priorities in restoring and advancing the interests of First Nations midwifery; develop a collaborative strategy among all relevant jurisdictions, including First Nations governments, to support these priorities and guide FNIHB in decision-making and in deliberations with the prov-inces and territories on matters related to the promotion of midwifery
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-tion (NAHO) has planned a number of activities NAHO’s activities will culminate in a panel discussion in Ottawa on Aboriginal women’s contribu-tion to the health of their communities
Please consult the NAHO website for more details www.naho.ca
Trang 5O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6 Women’s History Month
How to find what you’re looking
for on the Canadian Health
Net-work (CHN)
www.canadian-health-network.ca
Got health questions? We’ve got answers! Do
you need information about the health issues
that affect Aboriginal women, men, girls and
boys throughout their lives? You’ve come to
the right place because at the CHN you’ll
find resources on a broad range of issues,
including parenting, healthy eating, violence
prevention, sexuality, and much more The
CHN is easy to use, fun to explore and you’ll
find tons of healthy living information
1 Guided Search: To browse the resources
on a topic, start at the CHN homepage and
select “Aboriginal Peoples” on the left The
Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Centre will
appear on your screen Then, click the link
Guided Search to explore all of the resources
in the Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Centre To
narrow down your search, choose from the
options presented on the right, by topic or by
group Results come up alphabetically but
can also be sorted by date or organization If
you select “Women” for example, you would
get resources such as:
Facts on Aboriginal women's health
Presents statistics related to the health of
Aboriginal women, including life expectancy,
chronic illness, and smoking Identifies
barriers to Aboriginal women's health Link
requires PDF reader Source: Vancouver
Women's Health Collective
Midwifery and Aboriginal midwifery in
Canada
Examines the history of midwifery in both
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities
Outlines the paths to becoming a midwife as
well as related issues about recognition and
accreditation Link requires PDF reader
Source: National Aboriginal Health
Organi-zation (NAHO)
The Inuit way: A guide to Inuit culture
Provides an introduction to traditional and modern Inuit culture Covers topics such as childrearing, family and community dynam-ics, traditional Inuit values, and diet Link requires PDF reader Source: Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
2 If you go back to the Aboriginal Peoples’
Health Centre, you can also choose an already-packaged Quick Search For example, “Residential” Schools will give resources such as:
Aboriginal children: the healing power of cultural identity
Predicts the positive results of fostering a sense of cultural identity Emphasizes the importance of program development taking place within the actual Aboriginal communi-ties Lists ways in which parents, caregivers, and health practitioners can provide related support to Aboriginal children Source:
Canadian Health Network (CHN) From:
Partner feature of the month: archives
3 A – Z List Subject Index: The A-Z Subject Index gives you quick access to hundreds of topics Just click on the first letter of the topic you want Here’s a sample of a few of the A-Z health topics available on CHN:
• abusers (violence); adolescent health; aging
• injury prevention; insulin; IUD
• self esteem; sexuality; smoking
4 Keyword Search: Use the top menu SEARCH link for easy keyword search You can search for any number of words or phrases that appear anywhere in CHN descriptions of resources If you type in the phrase “Aboriginal women” and select the
“exact phrase” search option, the keyword search will find resources containing that exact phrase
5 Don’t forget to also check out our Frequently Asked Questions or contact us at chn-questions-rcs@naho.ca
National Aboriginal Health Organization
National Aboriginal Health Organization
E-Bulletin E-Bulletin October 2006
To celebrate Women’s History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-tion (NAHO) has planned a number of activities NAHO’s activities will culminate in a panel discussion in Ottawa on Aboriginal women’s contribu-tion to the health of their communities
Please consult the NAHO website for more details www.naho.ca