maskêkosihk Birthing Centre Project – maskêkosihk nihtâwikiwin kamik

About the project

The babies born today will be fundamental to the growth, unity, and prosperity of our nation for generations to come.

This is why we have begun a birthing centre project to ensure parents, families, caregivers and kin have the access, support, and education we deserve through cultural healthcare practices, birth experiences and work. We aim to ensure our Nêhiyaw birth stories, songs, ceremonies and traditions remain foundational to support healthy families and community members. We’re beginning with one goal in mind: a physical space devoted to culturally safe birth practices for, with and by our people.

Your voice is essential as we plan to take steps toward building and continuing to advance our Nation’s healthcare goals by meeting the needs of our kin. A series of community-led engagement sessions will begin to light the path forward while we follow the guidance of the Elders, Knowledge Sharers, Storytellers, Families, and Language Speakers throughout the project. A vision formed by the community will be shared and celebrated as we move this project forward.

Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts, dreams, stories and experiences throughout the engagement regardless of their previous history and experiences

What is a birthing centre?

A birthing centre is a dedicated space and care facility, often chosen as an alternative to in-hospital delivery or home birth.

Why a birthing centre?

We are dedicated to meeting our own unique health needs as a community and Nation.

Cultural identity and birthing traditions have been impacted by colonization. Ongoing racism, discrimination, and inappropriate intervention prevent equitable access and positive experiences for mothers, fathers, families and caregivers seeking support.

Opportunities to co-create safe spaces, inclusive practices and appropriate culturally relevant care are at the forefront of the changes that need to be made to restore right relations, healing and respect among, for and with us.

Empowerment, advocacy and safety are among the benefits imagined for a maskêkosihk birthing centre. In addition to reducing health care costs for low-risk birth services, there are opportunities to respect our Indigenous sciences and include birth workers (Indigenous doulas, birth attendants and midwives), ceremonial practices and knowledge transfer.

Frequently asked questions

Q: What wise practices are we learning from other Indigenous-focussed birthing centres?

As we collectively work to restore our Nêhiyaw traditions and practices, language and culture, we are looking to others to learn more about how they’ve approached self-governed birthing centres with specific programs and supports.

Restoring and reviving cultural birthing practices is foundational to healing and reconnecting to rites-based care. The project will seek to understand the current state of Indigenous Birthing Centres and practices across the country and site visits from the project team have been planned to learn more.

Some examples in this space have included:

• Grandparents Group: culturally knowledgeable Elders for spiritual/cultural guidance, including ethical issue navigation and decision-making support. (Six Nations Health Services)
• Indigenous midwifery, doula, Indigenous practical nurse program, birth workers and advocate services
• Womens’ health education
• Family planning
• Ceremonial practices: use of songs, medicines, and ceremonies from pregnancy through birth
• Walk-in testing
• Traditional parenting classes
• Referrals to community programs and services
• Support for low-high-risk births
• Breastfeeding support
• Kitchen
• Quiet rooms
• Birthing tubs

Diverse and culturally relevant programming, education, support, family planning and resources are some of the aspects that can support a healthy journey before, during and after birth.

Project team

The project team includes mothers and women with various experiences in community engagement, project management, communications, strategy, business and planning.

The team from Forum Community Relations is led by Enoch’s Senior Manager (External), Colleen McDonald, who reports to our Chief and Council and receives directions from the Youth and Elders Advisory Council.

•  Anne Harding, Community Engagement Lead
• Teneya Gwin, Community Engagement Support
•  Michelle Deacon, Communications and Project Management
• Tenise Day Rider, Research & Community Advisor
•  Michelle Fournie, Communications Support

Wisdom to guide us

In addition to the project team participating in the ceremony, and ensuring the project is done in a Good Way, the project lead and member of Enoch Cree Nation, Colleen McDonald offered Protocol to Elder Marilyn McGillis in August 2024 for a project name.

The following was chosen in the Nêyihaw language meaning:

maskêkosihk – Enoch/People of the land of the medicine

nihtâwikiwin – the act of being born

kamik – a building

The project team is also committed to respecting the following values and ways of being throughout the community engagement activities:

• Wahkohtowin/Kinship – we acknowledge and embrace our interconnectedness, seeking wisdom from our ancestors and the natural world guided by Nêhiyaw teachings and practices of reciprocity and good relations;
• Tapwewin/Truth Telling – we will honour each community member’s lived experiences as their Truth, and demonstrate honesty and integrity in our interactions with community members, leadership, and health care practitioners throughout the Birthing Centre project;
• Pimacihowin/Way of Life – we will seek ways that a Birthing Centre can provide access and meaningful connection to independence and cultural strength for new babies while improving the quality of life for families and their relations through reviving Traditional  practices, medicines and knowledge;
• Miyo-wicitowin/Only One – we invite all community members to contribute to the vision of a Birthing Centre that is for us, by us, in the spirit of building good relations and expanding the circle through a shared vision of community;
• Miyo-macihowin/Good Health – we will consider and care for the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being of participants throughout the engagement process and in the ways we talk about the birthing centre.

Project timeline

There are many steps toward achieving our goals, visions and dreams within this special project. In addition to learning more about other birth centres through desktop research and some site visits, learning wise practices from those who have come before us, such as birth work professionals (doulas, midwives, doctors, and policy professionals), will support the project.

It is likely to take approximately multiple years for the birthing centre to be built beginning with this first phase of community engagement. In anticipation of community support and community needs, we will provide a series of opportunities to listen, learn and plan with you.

These include sharing circles, gatherings, in-community event information booths, printed material and social media engagement. We started having conversations with community leadership and Elders in the summer of 2024 and will continue reaching out to community members to hear your thoughts until December when we will share and validate the maskêkosihk Birthing Centre vision that the community has created.

Resources

Support is out there if you need help or someone to talk with.

• If it is an emergency dial 9-1-1
• 24-Hour Distress Line 780-482-HELP (4357) edmonton.cmha.ca
• Dial 2-1-1
• Enoch miyo machihowin department – Registered Psychiatric Nurse for mental health support https://enochnation.ca/branch/health-management-support-branch/#registered-psychiatric-nurse
• www.sace.ca