Restoring the Blessings of the Morning Star: Childbirth and Maternal-Infant Health for First Nations near Edmonton, Alberta

Abstract

It is not only remote Aboriginal communities in Canada that have poorer maternalinfant health status than Canadian averages; residents of First

Peyakohewamak—Needs of Involved Nehiyaw (Cree) Fathers Supporting Their Partners During Pregnancy: Findings From the ENRICH Study

“…To ensure that clinical processes and related perinatal programming are more inclusive of Indigenous fathers, renewed and more robust efforts for cultural safety are necessary. Our findings add to a plethora of research calling for enhanced cultural sensitivity and understanding in care settings, especially perinatal care (Heaman et al, 2015; Oster et al, 2016; Oster, Mayan, & Toth, 2014; Tait Neufeld, 2014; Wiebe et al, 2015). The needs expressed in our study for building improved communication and sincere relationships with health care providers, incorporating Indigenous culture and language into care practices, and providing more accommodating care approaches mirror the opinions of other Indigenous fathers (Ball, 2009; Reilly & Rees, 2018), perinatal health care providers (Darroch & Giles, 2016; Oster et al, 2016), academics (Varcoe, Brown, Calam, Harvey, & Tallio, 2013), and Indigenous women themselves (Heaman et al, 2015; Oster, Mayan, & Toth, 2014; Tait Neufeld, 2014).…”

“…Quantitative evidence suggests that strong support networks during pregnancy are protective against some adverse pregnancy and developmental outcomes (McDonald, Kehler, Bayrampour, Fraser-Lee, & Tough, 2016). Previous qualitative work with Indigenous women also illuminates the clear need for enhanced support networks during pregnancy; their partner was often cited as the most critical support person (Oster, Mayan, & Toth, 2014; Tait Neufeld, 2014; Wiebe, Barton, Auger, Pijl-Zieber, & Foster-Boucher, 2015). However, the roles and identities of many Indigenous men in relation to masculinity, fatherhood, and family have been disrupted through major historical harms, including residential school policies and practices 1 (Andersen, Swift, & Innes, 2015; Ball, 2009; Ball & Moselle, 2015; Mussell, 2005).…”

Kikiskawâwasow - prenatal healthcare provider perceptions of effective care for First Nations women: an ethnographic community-based participatory research study

“…Our findings also build upon qualitative research calling for equality and shared power in the patient-provider relationship to avoid fear-inducing, paternalistic and ineffective healthcare [ 7 , 12 ]. Solutions to improving care and strengthening HCP-patient relationships may lie in supporting efforts toward more localized and community-based care, such as Indigenous birthing centres and Indigenous midwifery [ 10 , 25 , 28 , 29 ] of which the Inuulitsivik midwifery service and education program in the Inuit region of Quebec, Canada is an excellent example of [ 30 ]. Another example of such a program functioned briefly in the same town where some of our research was conducted [ 31 ], and ended because of lack of on-going funding.…”

Wîcohkamakew – A qualitative description of parents, perinatal clinic staff, and mentor Elders experiences of a Nêhiyawi (Cree) community-derived Elders Mentoring Program: Findings from the ENRICH study

“…The National Aboriginal Health Organization defined cultural safety as moving "beyond the concept of cultural sensitivity to analyzing power imbalances, institutional discrimination, colonization and colonial relationships as they apply to health care." [29] There is no shortage of research calling for improved cultural safety for Indigenous patients in healthcare settings, particularly perinatal settings [8,25,[30][31][32]. Our findings suggest that consistent Elder presence in perinatal care offers a novel opportunity for ongoing experiential and reflective cultural safety learning for staff as opposed to the often one time, limited, and unidirectional cultural sensitivity trainings typically offered that tend to focus on cultural differences [33].…”

“…Key recent movements, such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action [6] and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [7], among others, substantiate the need for such initiatives. Moreover, current research indicates pregnant Indigenous women and their partners may benefit from culturally appropriate services, flexible prenatal care approaches, traditional pregnancy knowledge and healing practices, and enhanced support networks [5,[8][9][10].…”