Nurturing Indigenous Maternal-Child Wellness: Urban Indigenous Midwifery, Birth Workers, and Families’ Experiences in Calgary, Alberta

Colonialism, sexism, and discrimination continue to affect Indigenous maternal-child health outcomes, leading to higher rates of adverse health outcomes and experiences, violence against women, socioeconomic barriers, and anti-Indigenous bias. Existing maternal health gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, alongside increasing Indigenous population growth rates, indicate the need to address Indigenous women’s and families’ needs to improve maternal-child health outcomes and experiences. In response to current Indigenous maternal-child health disparities, Indigenous-led midwifery models of care provide holistic and culturally safe models of care and support that recognize complex physical, psychological, emotional, cultural, spiritual, and relational needs of Indigenous women and their families. Although Indigenous midwifery is identified as a beneficial practice for Indigenous communities, there is limited research in Alberta about the development, utilization, and impacts of Indigenous-led midwifery care in Alberta. This research partners with Juniper Midwives and Heart Lodge, located in Calgary, Alberta to understand the lived experiences and voices of urban Indigenous women, midwives, nurses, and support members to better understand the strengths and barriers within current care models. To ethically engage in research with rather than on Indigenous peoples and communities, this research utilizes community-based participatory research, as a collaborative approach, to focus on research areas that were identified by community partners. Using community supported qualitative research methods, fieldwork was conducted over the course of two years to gain insights into the local context of Indigenous maternal-child health in Calgary, Alberta. This includes observations at Heart Lodge, as a community-led maternal health initiative; twenty feminist oral history interviews with Indigenous women (including midwifery clients and other non-midwifery patient experiences), Indigenous midwives and nurses, Knowledge Keepers, and Heart Lodge “aunties”; and five digital stories created with participants to share their personal maternity care experiences. The data highlight the complex lived experiences of navigating pregnancy, birth, and health care services, while showcasing the transformative efforts of Indigenous midwives and support members in restoring bodily autonomy, relational care, and reproductive justice for Indigenous women and their families.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Anthropology

Grantor

Arts

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Perrotta, Arielle

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Leason, Jennifer

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Stahnisch, Frank
• McNeil, Deborah

• Medical anthropology
• Indigenous maternal health
• Community-based participatory research

Statement dc:rights

• Unless otherwise indicated, this material is protected by copyright and has been made available with authorization from the copyright owner. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/50903

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/123685