Tài liệu National Aboriginal Health Organization E-Bulletin docx

To celebrate Women’s
History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-
tion (NAHO) has planned a
number of activities. NAHO’s
activities will culminate in a
panel discussion in Ottawa on
Aboriginal women’
s contribu-
tion to the health of their
communities.
Please consult the NAHO
website for more details.
www.naho.ca
O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6
Women’s History Month
Supporting midwives: important caregivers in the
North
By the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre
Imagine a day when most Inuit women can give birth in their home communities.
Right now, many expectant mothers in the Arctic have to travel to larger centres or to
southern Canada to give birth because the necessary health services don’t exist in their own
community or region. Many new mothers want to have their baby
in their own community
near family and friends, not in a hospital far away.
Inuit midwives and birthing centres in the North are helping to make that happen. Birthing
centres like those in Inukjuak, Salluit and Puvirnituq in Nunavik and Rankin Inlet, Nunavut,
are allowing women to stay in their community to give birth. Midwives are well respected
and highly skilled, providing a wonderful service to women and families in the North.
The Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre has made important connections wi
th Inuit midwives and

maternity care workers over the past two years. Several midwives from Nunavik attended
the Aboriginal Women and Girls’
Health Roundtable in Ottawa in April 2005, hosted by the
National Aboriginal Health Organization. There, they told the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre that
there was a real need for midwives across the Arctic to have a strong support network.
Seeing the possibilities, the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre jumped onboard to help midwives
connect with colleagues in other Inuit regions, and provide them with information and
resources on midwifery, infant care and other issues.
The r
esult: a virtual information-sharing network, called Irnisuksiiniq-Inuit Midwifery
Network. It uses many forms of telecommunications to keep participants connected, from
teleconference to fax to an e-mail listserve and an information Web site
(www
.inuitmidwifery.ca).
In this issue
pg.1 Supporting midwives: Important caregivers in the North
By the Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre

pg.2 The Role of Métis Women in the Transmission of Traditional Knowledge
By the Métis Centre
pg.3 Jidwah:doh documentary has been selected for screening as part of the
imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival
pg.4 First Nations Midwifery Advisory Circle
By the First Nations Centre
pg.5 How to find what you’re looking for on the Canadian Health Network
(CHN)
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
National Aboriginal Health
Organization

E-Bulletin
E-Bulletin
October 2006
O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6
Women’s History Month
The Ajunnginiq (Inuit) Centre believes the
Irnisuksiiniq-Inuit Midwifery Network is an
ideal way to:
• Provide midwives and maternity care
workers with up-to-date resources and the
latest research on the midwifery field
• Connect Inuit midwives in remote commu-
nities to midwives working in other Inuit
regions
• Inform midwives and maternity care
workers of upcoming gatherings, training,
and events related to their field
• Assist midwives and maternity care
workers to share their stories and experiences
with other professionals.
The Irnisuksiiniq-Inuit Midwifery Network’s
Web site went online in spring 2006 and now
boasts a site rich with resources. Currently in
English and French, the Web site will be
online in Inuktitut in late fall.
The Ajunnginq (Inuit) Centre encourages
midwives, maternity care workers and others
with an interest in advancing midwifery to
join the network by emailing us at

The Role of Métis Women in the
Transmission of Traditional
Knowledge
By the Métis Centre
Métis women have historically played a
significant role in their communities, how-
ever, the influences of colonization have
often negatively redefined those roles. These
changes have impacted Métis women’s role
as individuals and in their own families, as
well as how others perceive them. During the
19th Century, Métis women contributed to
the strength of their community in unprec
-
edented ways. The place they occupied led
to a matrilineal Métis system and a model for
community organization.
Assimilation worked to dismantle this Métis
community organization and increasing
colonization left Métis women in the shad
-
ows for a good portion of the 20th century.
Communities that were once familiar with
women having lead roles in co-ordination
with men the effects of assimilation leading
to the destruction of traditional community
ties to women.
Even though major changes have occurred
during the past century, Métis women have
maintained their strength over the years

through the knowledge and beliefs they have
collected from all maternal ancestors.
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
E-Bulletin
E-Bulletin
October 2006
To celebrate Women’s
History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-
tion (NAHO) has planned a
number of activities. NAHO’s
activities will culminate in a
panel discussion in Ottawa on
Aboriginal women’
s contribu-
tion to the health of their
communities.
Please consult the NAHO
website for more details.
www.naho.ca
O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6
Women’s History Month
Bonds between women and their communi-
ties have been tested over time, affected by
colonization, economic hardships, political
inequities and social marginalization. Métis
women’

s connections to land, water, medi-
cines, knowledge and customs stayed consis-
tent throughout these tests. Transmission of
the traditional knowledge shared between
Métis women is integral to Métis identity
and, unfortunately, its importance is often
under
-emphasized. Increasing of the trans-
mission of traditional knowledge between
Métis women builds pride and a stronger
sense of identity that is best reflected in the
development of younger generations.
Community Involvement
All members of a Métis community rely on
the knowledge of Métis women. Both rural
and urban Métis communities “own” a body
of knowledge that is unique to their commu-
nity, yet representative of an identity that is
broadly Métis. Land, language, place,
community, spirituality and medicines are
connected to women in different ways than to
men. For Métis women, community connect-
edness links all of these aspects together.
Therefore, community consultation is key to
the transmission of Traditional Knowledge.
Métis women and elders hold a great deal of
practical and procedural knowledge, espe-
cially in terms of women’s health issues.
Specific issues, such as birthing procedures,
midwifery, menstruation and childcare, as

well as broader issues dealing with family
,
community and social values, education,
communication, nutrition, and water and
spirituality are all areas of expertise for many
women and elders.
For the people in the community, women are
the key to health and to addressing illnesses.
Their role(s) as mothers and grandmothers
extends beyond their own family and they
have been continually respected as the
leaders in Métis community health.

Barkwell, Lawrence, Leah Dorian and Darren Prefontaine,
Métis Legacy, Pemmican: Winnipeg, 2001: 15
Barkwell: 15
Barkwell: 15
Bartlett, Judith, “Developing Indicators and Measures of
Well-Being for Métis Women in Manitoba” Master of Science
Thesis, Winnipeg: University of Manitoba: 2004: 106
Barkwell: 15
Mitchell: 36
Jidwah:doh documentary has
been selected for screening as
part of the imagineNATIVE Film
and Media Arts Festival

Jidwa:doh: Let's Become Again, Indigenous
Elders Summit 2004 is a 50-minute DVD
directed by Dr. Dawn Martin-Hill on behalf

of the Indigenous Elders and Y
outh Council.
It records the events that took place during
the Indigenous Elders Summit held at Six
Nations of the Grand River Territory in 2004.
Elders from throughout the hemisphere
joined together at this historic event to
discuss ways to heal Indigenous nations from
historical trauma and to provide direction for
action in response to social and health
concerns. Elders speaking in this DVD
include: Tom Porter (Mohawk); Chief Arvol
Looking Horse (Lakota); Dr
. Maria Yellow
Horse Brave Heart (Lakota); Leon Secetaro
(Navajo); Elizabeth Penashue (Innu); Renie
Jobin (Lubicon Cree); and Luciano Mutum-
bajoy (Union of Yagé Healers, Colombia).
All stress the importance of retaining and
employing Indigenous knowledge in all
aspects of healing.
The imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts
Festival is an annual four
-day international
festival held in downtown Toronto, which
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
E-Bulletin

E-Bulletin
October 2006
To celebrate Women’s
History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-
tion (NAHO) has planned a
number of activities. NAHO’s
activities will culminate in a
panel discussion in Ottawa on
Aboriginal women’
s contribu-
tion to the health of their
communities.
Please consult the NAHO
website for more details.
www.naho.ca
O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6
Women’s History Month
showcases the latest works by established
and emerging Aboriginal artists on the
forefront of innovation in film, video, radio,
and new media. Each fall the festival
presents a selection of the most compelling
and distinctive Indigenous works from
around the globe. The 7th Annual
imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts
Festival is taking place from October 18 to
22.
NAHO is proud to have provided support to
the successful hosting of the International

Indigenous Elders Summit and to the Indig
-
enous Elders and Youth Council. W
e
congratulate the IEYC and Dr. Dawn
Martin-Hill on being selected to participate in
this year’
s festival.
For further information about events and
screening venues visit
www.imagineNA
TIVE.org

First Nations Midwifery Advisory
Circle
The development of a First Nations
Midwifery Advisory Circle (FNMAC) came
from outcomes and recommendations of the
Aboriginal Women and Girls’ Health Round-
table (AWGHR), co-hosted by First Nations
and Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) and the
National Aboriginal Health Organization
(NAHO) in April 2005. The event provided
an opportunity to identify next steps on how
Aboriginal women can reclaim their role in
the birthing of their children as a critical
element to wellness. The establishment of an
Aboriginal Advisory Circle on Midwifery
was recommended as a way to guide FNIHB
in supporting Aboriginal women to return

safe birthing to their communities.
A one-day meeting was held at the NAHO
office in Ottawa on March 27, 2006 to
develop draft terms of reference and a draft
governance structure for the Midwifery
Advisory Circle, which was initially intended
to incorporate First Nations and Inuit repre-
sentatives. It was subsequently decided that
First Nations and Inuit advisory circles
should be established separately to reflect the
distinct and unique aspirations and experi-
ences of these respective groups. This
approach is aligned with First Nations
leaders’ rejection of pan-Aboriginal
approaches, clearly stated in Resolution
104/04, carried at the December 2004 Special
Chiefs Assembly.
A
critical determinant of improved First
Nations maternal and child health to which
midwifery can contribute is the self-
determination of First Nations women, their
families and their communities. First Nations
jurisdiction in the protection and promotion
of the health and well-being of their member-
ship emanates from inherent Aboriginal and
Treaty Rights recognized in the Canadian
Constitution and by-law making authorities
under the Indian Act.
The FNMAC is mandated to facilitate

information exchange and dialogue on
midwifery. More specifically
, the FNMAC
will: identify priorities in restoring and
advancing the interests of First Nations
midwifery; develop a collaborative strategy
among all relevant jurisdictions, including
First Nations governments, to support these
priorities and guide FNIHB in decision-
making and in deliberations with the prov-
inces and territories on matters related to the
promotion of midwifery.
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
E-Bulletin October 2006
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
E-Bulletin
E-Bulletin
October 2006
To celebrate Women’s
History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-
tion (NAHO) has planned a
number of activities. NAHO’s
activities will culminate in a
panel discussion in Ottawa on
Aboriginal women’

s contribu-
tion to the health of their
communities.
Please consult the NAHO
website for more details.
www.naho.ca
O c t o b e r 2 0 0 6
Women’s History Month
How to find what you’re looking
for on the Canadian Health Net-
work (CHN)
www.canadian-health-network.ca
Got health questions? We’ve got answers! Do
you need information about the health issues
that affect Aboriginal women, men, girls and
boys throughout their lives? Y
ou’ve come to
the right place because at the CHN you’ll
find resources on a broad range of issues,
including parenting, healthy eating, violence
prevention, sexuality, and much more. The
CHN is easy to use, fun to explore and you’ll
find tons of healthy living information.
1. Guided Search: To browse the resources
on a topic, start at the CHN homepage and
select “Aboriginal Peoples” on the left. The
Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Centre will
appear on your screen. Then, click the link
Guided Search to explore all of the resources
in the Aboriginal Peoples’ Health Centre. To

narrow down your search, choose from the
options presented on the right, by topic or by
group. Results come up alphabetically but
can also be sorted by date or organization. If
you select “W
omen” for example, you would
get resources such as:
Facts on Aboriginal women's health
Presents statistics related to the health of
Aboriginal women, including life expectancy,
chronic illness, and smoking. Identifies
barriers to Aboriginal women's health. Link
requires PDF reader. Source: V
ancouver
Women's Health Collective
Midwifery and Aboriginal midwifery in
Canada
Examines the history of midwifery in both
Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.
Outlines the paths to becoming a midwife as
well as related issues about recognition and
accreditation. Link requires PDF reader.
Source: National Aboriginal Health Or
gani-
zation (NAHO).
The Inuit way: A guide to Inuit cultur
e
Provides an introduction to traditional and
modern Inuit culture. Covers topics such as
childrearing, family and community dynam-

ics, traditional Inuit values, and diet. Link
requires PDF reader. Source: Pauktuutit Inuit
W
omen of Canada.
2. If you go back to the Aboriginal Peoples’
Health Centre, you can also choose an
already-packaged Quick Search. For
example, “Residential” Schools will give
resources such as:
Aboriginal children: the healing power of
cultural identity
Predicts the positive results of fostering a
sense of cultural identity. Emphasizes the
importance of program development taking
place within the actual Aboriginal communi
-
ties. Lists ways in which parents, caregivers,
and health practitioners can provide related
support to Aboriginal children. Source:
Canadian Health Network (CHN) From:
Partner feature of the month: archives.
3. A – Z List Subject Index: The A-Z Subject
Index gives you quick access to hundreds of
topics. Just click on the first letter of the topic
you want. Here’s a sample of a few of the
A-Z health topics available on CHN:
• abusers (violence); adolescent health; aging
• injury prevention; insulin; IUD
• self esteem; sexuality; smoking
4. Keyword Search: Use the top menu

SEARCH link for easy keyword search. You
can search for any number of words or
phrases that appear anywhere in CHN
descriptions of resources. If you type in the
phrase “Aboriginal women” and select the
“exact phrase” search option, the keyword
search will find resources containing that
exact phrase.
5. Don’t for
get to also check out our
Frequently Asked Questions or contact us at

National Aboriginal Health
Organization
National Aboriginal Health
Organization
E-Bulletin
E-Bulletin
October 2006
To celebrate Women’s
History Month, the National
Aboriginal Health Organiza-
tion (NAHO) has planned a
number of activities. NAHO’s
activities will culminate in a
panel discussion in Ottawa on
Aboriginal women’
s contribu-
tion to the health of their
communities.

Please consult the NAHO
website for more details.
www.naho.ca