Midwifery, Nursing & Primary health care

Brenda Green

First Nations University of Canada, Canada

Abstract Title: From Takohpinawasowin To Wasakama (make a circle) traditional birthing education for indigenous communities in rural Saskatchewan, Canada

Biography:

Dr. Green background is in Mental Health Epidemiology and has been a professor at First Nations University of Canada since July 2006. Her research has primarily focussed on rural women experiences of aging and care, rural health services to northern Saskatchewan, and Indigenous women’s experiences of birthing and caregiving. She has written on various subjects such as ethics and morality in nursing, traditional experiences of birthing, racism in health care, and more recently mental health process for Indigenous university students. Dr. Green’s research focusses on collaborative and community based Indigenous research methods and teaches senior and graduate classes in this area. In particular, her current research is community driven, and community owned which has fostered and ongoing respectful relationship with various First Nations in Saskatchewan. Dr. Green is an active member of the College of Reviewers for the Canadian Institute of Health Research and has actively developed several courses on Indigenous Research Methodologies, Indigenous Research in Practice and has redeveloped Indigenous policy classes at First Nations University.

Research Interest:

In 2019, we began conducting research From Takohpinawasowin To Wasakama (make a circle) traditional birthing education for indigenous communities in ural Saskatchewan, Canada, in a good way as a process that respects and honors the unique perspectives, knowledge systems, and values of traditional birthing practices within Indigenous rural communities in Saskatchewan, Canada. Recognizing the importance of voice and experience in shaping research outcomes, the partnerships established between research, First Nations University of Canada, and rural Indigenous communities, highlight the integration of academia with place-based knowledge. As a result, an academically credentialed Indigenous Birth Support Worker (IBWC), End of Life Support Worker, and Sexual and Reproductive Health Support Worker certificates emerged through the collective interests known as w?s?k?m? (Make a Circle). These programs and the relationship established between the university and the community, work to enhance community well-being and interrupt systemic racism and bias by prioritizing the role of self-determination and local knowledge in Indigenous communities. This presentation highlights the importance of community involvement and leadership in creating place-based training for culturally safe, culturally responsive, and meaningful practices to enhance rural Indigenous health outcomes across the lifespan.

Key Terms: Indigenous People, Traditional Birthing, Land-Based Education, Community Based Research.