b'INDIGENOUS MIDWIFERYwhere we belong in this journey, as a founda-tional measure, is no longer commonplace. The impacts of colonialism have vastly changed how pregnant people are taken care of and how babies are welcomed into this journey. Many communities no longer have the traditional knowledge keepers and reproductive health experts that we did for millennia.Often, we think about traditional know-ledge keepers as the Elders who lead ceremony or hold the knowledge of traditional medi-cine in our communities. However, we do not always acknowledge or remember that, historically, many of these peoples were also midwives. Every single community had at leastBirthing room, KTigaaning Midwivesone midwife, if not more. Babies were always born at home in the commun-ities, and it was the midwife who provided the maternal care, led the Engage. birthing process, provided aftercare and conducted the rites and ceremonies with the family. Newborns were acknow-ledged, and our connection to land and AT RESOLUTE, WE KNOW THAT FORESTwater was an integral component of PRODUCTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO OUR DAILY LIFE.these ceremonies and rites. Today, as the THATS WHY WE BELIEVE IN RESPONSIBLEimpacts of colonialism have forced birth FOREST MANAGEMENT AND THE IMPORTANCEinto mainstream institutions and clinical OF BALANCING ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PRIORITIES. settings, in many of our commun-ities the last baby born at home goes back generations.Todays Indigenous midwives are working hard to change that. The PAPERPULP TISSUE WOOD www.resolutefp.com National Aboriginal Council of Midwives (NACM), established in 2008, promotes excellence in repro-ductive health care for Indigenous peoples. They have strategic directions that include maintaining and promoting Indigenous knowledges and practices regarding maternal and infant care, expanding Indigenous midwifery in Canada and advancing Indigenous midwifery as a valued profession. They have released valuable position statements on colonial protocol(s) A new Indigenous space to gather and learn that are negatively impacting our Western University is undergoing renovations for a new Indigenous Learning Spacecommunities, such as routine evacua-by architect team Wanda Dalla Costa (Cree) from Redquill Architecture and Scotttion and child apprehensions at birth. Robinson from Tillmann Ruth Robinson. Recognizing birth in communities as an The space will be a home for Indigenous learning initiatives and communityinherent right, Indigenous midwives are engagement, and a touchstone for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to buildqualified, educated primary health-care relationships inthe spirit of reconciliation, decolonization and Indigenization. To learnproviders and are leading the way to more, visit indigenouslearningspace.uwo.ca or email indigenousinitiatives@uwo.ca. reclaiming and revitalizing Indigenous birth knowledge and ceremonies. Trans-forming the birth experience is a centric Indigenous Initiatives component of intergenerational healing. Indigenous midwives exemplify a set 34l ISSUE 2 2019/20C hIEfS ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazInE'