Midwives laid cedar down to receive babies into the ceremony. As those who welcome babies into the world with their hands and hearts, midwives exemplify how important it is to follow the invisible threads that bind communities and families together.
Though families mark the arrival of a baby with their own protocols and in their own ways, these celebrations – like many other ceremonies – were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
And so, on June 19, 2024, Tem'elíe Midwifery (Tem'elíe, meaning “Salmonberry Time") organized to have the babies born from July 2023 to June 2024 brought to Seabird Island to welcome them Earthside – a special celebration for receiving babies into the world. As a new mother myself, I was grateful for the honour of being invited to witness the celebration. “Because they stayed, we want to welcome them into the world and lives of their families, communities and Nations," said Darcy Paul, master of ceremonies, to the witnesses. The gymnasium was transformed by tables and chairs with an aisle in the middle. Candles and twinkle lights brought an intimate feel to the large space and a projector slideshow shared images of the babies lovingly captured. Revitalizing these celebrations is an important act of reconciliation and revitalization for families and brings a positive and uplifting essence to the family's journey.
Tem'elíle's program offers guidance throughout the journey from pregnancy, birth, and early weeks of life. The program receives funding from the FNHA and is supported by the Fraser Salish regional team. One of the key pillars of the Fraser Salish Regional Health and Wellness Plan is 'Maternal Child and Family Wellness,' which prioritizes “holding up a wellness approach to enhance, improve and contribute to health outcomes identified by communities while contributing meaningful pathways that enhance and support access to traditional practices."
Through Tem'elíe, life givers are encouraged to attend prenatal visits at a clinic in Agassiz on Tuesdays, or the Stó:lō Health Center on Wednesdays. In a healthcare system that does not always feel safe, the support and encouragement provided has helped some to receive culturally safe care as early as eight weeks into their journey.
As you might expect, it takes a special person to enter midwifery and be the hands to support life givers in providing these delicate gifts to the world. For this reason, midwifery is often a vocation that finds a person, rather than the person seeking it out. If someone is present at a birth and shows an affinity for it, a midwife may comment and lead that person down a path to the profession; and, more people are needed to walk that path. There are less than a handful of Indigenous midwives in the province, and there is significant demand.
Demand is not the only thing leading the National Indigenous Midwifery Association to promote initiatives such as the “BirthBack" Campaign. Supporting the resurgence of Indigenous midwifery “fulfills the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action to recognize the value of Indigenous healing practices and increase the number of Indigenous professionals working in the health care field." [1] The campaign offers resources and a social media toolkit in order to help bring visibility to the many efforts underway, bringing birth back to communities and restoring the role of the midwife as a key contributor to the health and wellness of the community as a whole.
In the meantime, Tem'elíle will continue to serve those who need support. The successes of the program have led to an ability to hire a second midwife, which should increase capacity and double the number of life givers and families who will be able to benefit from culturally sensitive care.
On this day, babies and their parents were blanketed and circled the room before lining up on the cedar the midwives had placed at the front. A sense of familiarity overcame me as I recognized some babies from the slideshow. As witnesses, we were invited to come forward to visit and share our love. As I walked down the line of babies, I felt a tickle in the back of my throat So many new lives: some three days old, others six months old. Some of the infants were awake to witness the ceremony around them. Others were lulled to sleep, melting into their mothers' bodies as if they were still only one. As Willow Walker, Council Member at Seabird Island said, “welcome to the world little ones, a new baby is the beginning of all things wonder and hope."
