b'-DOING: MAORI BIRTHING TRADITIONSMori MidwivesAotearoa: a group dedicated to addressing the inconsistencies in maternity services for Mori in New Zealandfollow traditional birthing practices, several oriori are currently avail- It can be challenging to tell exactly who an oriori was written able on the website, some with composer interviews and translations.for and why based on the old manuscripts that Tikao has found. Ma- ori people use oriori in a number of ways. There are those whoAmster Reedy (who was in the North Island) was one of the first people to bring back oriori knowledge. But he passed away while play the song to their child while in the womb, and now more andhe was just at the start of returning this knowledge, she says.more Ma- ori are playing oriori during the birth itself. But how were oriori used traditionally? MIDWIFERY TRAININGThere are different stories and understandings. Some people usedTo better integrate traditional Ma- ori birthing practices into oriori to soothe and calm the child when nursing or when the childmidwifery and hospitals, Tikaos ultimate goal is to create a was unsettled or not sleeping, explains Tikao. But some of the otherMa- ori midwifery training program. It may even not be called stories say that they were written for chiefly babies or higher descend- midwifery, it may be called catching our baby training, she ants. Writers wrote the hierarchy of that chiefly line into the oriorisays. We are on the cusp of it up north. But it takes a long time because it was about keeping that chiefly line. These are very ancientfor us to do anything like this, because we have to prove it with songs that have been passed down and added to over generations.evidence and analysis. We have to find the funding to do all of this And that takes years.We need a hub that is similar to a village where we can hold classes. Because Ma- ori often need postnatal classes more than antenatal. The funding needs to reflect this longer time frame, Tikao adds. We need a place where our Ma- ori midwives can learn in the Ma- ori environment.Implementing such training would support Tikaos other goalthe creation of Ma- ori birthing units. Waubetek is pleased to deliver the Indigenous WomenWhile she says Primary Birthing Units in hospitals are very Entrepreneurship Program to help you start or expandsupportive of a womans birthing plan, regardless of what culture your business in North-East Ontariothey are from, they are not Ma- ori birthing unitsthey are every-Workshopsones birthing units.MentoringSlowly, thanks to the hard work of those like Tikao, Ma- ori Micro-Loans up to $20,000 people are standing up for their right to follow their traditional(45% forgiveable) cultural practices, including the delivery of babies. In the past we used to hide a lot of these things, because it was too hard, Please email us at waubetek@waubetek.com for moreand we werent allowed to do them. But now were saying, no, we informationdont want to hide our practices anymore, we have a right to do www.waubetek.comthem in our spaces, asserts Tikao. And if that space happens to be in a hospital, then we should still respect others and respect our own culture, continues Tikao. Its a way of merging but keeping our culture present in spaces that we have been dominated in. Were trying to reclaim those surgical spaces. Welcoming babies into the world through Indigenous birthing practices is key to their safety. Their first experience on this earth must reflect who they are and how they will live here. This is best achieved through a birth that reflects their culture and traditions. 44Spring/Summer 2023'