Latest news with #IndigenousMidwifery
CBC
14-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Indigenous midwifery services 'really essential' in Yukon, prize-winning group says
Social Sharing The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) says the next step for its Indigenous midwifery program, thanks to some new prize money, is to purchase a space that will serve as home to the program and expand its services. "It's really essential," said Shadelle Chambers, executive director of CYFN. "We know that the other northern jurisdictions and other jurisdictions across Canada have been expanding Indigenous midwifery services over the last number of decades — so, really important in terms of revitalizing cultural practices." On Tuesday, the organization's Bibia Nàtsät Ku project was named the big winner of this year's $1-million Arctic Inspiration Prize. The money will go toward opening a new, dedicated facility in Whitehorse where Yukon First Nations elders and midwives could offer sexual and reproductive health care, including birthing services. It would also offer training for Indigenous students. Chambers says the program has been "building a lot of capacity" over the last few years, such as training a couple of dozen Indigenous doulas. They also hope to have a Yukon First Nations midwife on the team soon. Chambers says it's all about bringing back more traditional birthing practices and ceremony. "What we want to do is ensure that people have culturally safe services. We know that, historically, that many clinical services are deeply entrenched in racism and discrimination, just based on historical practices and legacies," she said. "So many of our families actually often don't get the supports and services they need because of that history." Other prize winners 'insanely hyped' In all, 12 projects across the North won Arctic Inspiration Prize money on Tuesday, totalling $3.7 million. Each year, the prize money is awarded to projects in education, health, culture, arts, language, science, traditional knowledge, climate change and the economy. Among the other winners this year are an Inuit-led education program for neurodiverse and marginalized youth in Nunavut, a Yellowknife-based project to empower youth through land-based learning, and a project in Nunavik to address food insecurity and strengthen cultural practices through harvesting camps. One of the winners in the youth category was a youth dog-sledding program in Inuvik, N.W.T. The Uniaraqtuq project is receiving $100,000 for training youth in dog sledding and other traditional skills, and for a documentary about the work. Tamara Kaglik, 19, is one of the teens working on the project. She says she was "insanely hyped" to learn they'd won the prize. "I was about to cry. I started jumping around. Oh my goodness," she said. The group already does some programming at a site outside of Inuvik and they hope to now maybe build a cabin out there for multi-day stays. Along with dog-sledding, they do things like fishing, hide-stretching, canoeing, kayaking and muskrat-trapping. "I have grown up with like a lack of access to all of the things we need to be on our land in these modern times, you know. Because it can be really expensive to get a boat, Ski-doo, gas money" said Kaglik.
CBC
13-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Yukon group wins $1M Arctic Inspiration Prize for Indigenous midwifery centre
A project focused on Indigenous midwifery and reproductive health care in the Yukon is the big winner of this year's $1-million Arctic Inspiration Prize, with the money set to go toward building a new facility in Whitehorse. It's one of several projects from across the North that were named as Arctic Inspiration Prize winners at a gala ceremony in Ottawa on Tuesday afternoon. The finalists were announced last month. Apart from the $1-million grand prize, other projects will get anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 in funding. The Arctic Inspiration Prize awards millions of dollars each year to projects in education, health, culture, arts, language, science, traditional knowledge, climate change and the economy. A total of $3.7 million was awarded this year. The largest prize will go toward a project led by the Council of Yukon First Nations called Bibia Nàtsät Ku. It would open a house in Whitehorse where Yukon First Nations elders and midwives could offer sexual and reproductive health care, including birthing services. It would also offer training for Indigenous students. Charlene Charlie, a member of the Bibia Nàtsät Ku team said in a statement on Tuesday that the prize represents a "turning point." "It means we can begin building a house of care that honours our ways of knowing, our languages, and our futures," she said. "This will not only transform sexual and reproductive health care delivery in the Yukon, but will also influence systemic change across the Arctic — helping to shape safer, more culturally appropriate care for Indigenous communities throughout the North." Other prize winners announced on Tuesday include: $500,000 for a Nunavut-based, Inuit-led education program for neurodiverse and marginalized youth by the Pirurqatigiit Resource Centre. $500,000 for a mentorship and leadership program for elders in Nunavut's Kitikmeot region. $233,000 for a nutrition and education program in Baker Lake, Nunavut, aimed at combating Type 2 diabetes rates. $500,000 for Cheko, a Yellowknife-based project to empower youth through land-based learning, mentorship, and entrepreneurship skills. $425,000 for a project led by the Qimutjuit Men's Association in Nunavik to address food insecurity and strengthen cultural practices through harvesting camps. Six winners were also announced in the youth category, with each project receiving $100,000 except one, a traditional beading and sewing program in Nunavut, which will receive $90,000. The $100,000 prize winners in the youth category are: A documentary about a youth dog sledding club in the Beaufort Delta region. The Dehcho Youth Energy Action Council, which draws on Dene knowledge to find climate solutions. A pan-northern youth gathering to find solutions for issues related to mental health, education and environment. The Northern Laughter Movement, which uses humour and storytelling as tools for wellness and leadership. A documentary project about the impacts of climate change on traditional hunting practices among Gwich'in in the Peel watershed region.
