Celebrating Indigenous Doulas on National Indigenous Peoples Day

On National Indigenous Peoples Day, Wellness Within: An Organization for Health and Justice is celebrating and calling attention to the value and importance of Indigenous doulas and birth workers. 

Racism and colonization have harmed birthing practices in Indigenous communities. The infant mortality rate among Indigenous babies is twice as high as the national average in Canada.  Policies like maternal evacuation continue to remove birth from community and stifle traditional birthing practices. Indigenous doulas, midwives and birth workers are critical to improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes and reclaim traditional practices.

Research has shown doula support improves maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Doula support has also been described as potentially disrupting structural barriers to health, including racism, by increasing client feelings of agency, security and respect. For doula support to meet the needs of clients in communities experiencing systemic racism, discrimination and on-going colonization, it must be representative and culturally safe.

Birth is inherently political. Not only does lack of representation worsen maternal and neonatal outcomes, but it also stifles the political and emancipatory potential of doula support. Indigenous doula support can connect land sovereignty to body sovereignty, reclaim cultural birth practices and support returning birth to community for Indigenous people.

In 2018, WW and partners began a doula training program to address systemic exclusion of Indigenous communities from perinatal health education so that Indigenous clients in correctional facilities and community could receive more appropriate support. WW volunteers have clearance to provide support at the Nova Institute for Women Federal Prison in Truro, the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility Provincial Jail in Burnside, and the Nova Scotia Youth Facility in Waterville. While incarcerated people typically have limited access to reproductive care, we offer support in pregnancy, abortion, childbirth, infant feeding, and newborn care for women, gender diverse and transgender people who have experienced criminalization.

Today, WW recognizes and celebrates the Indigenous doulas providing this support and commits to continue support of this work through training, professional development and advocacy.