This website is dedicated to honouring and sharing Indigenous midwifery and traditional knowledge surrounding pregnancy, birth, and early childhood. Our goal is to create a living place where wisdom from Elders, midwives, and knowledge keepers can be gathered, remembered, and passed on to the next generations.
We believe that every stage of life – from conception, pregnancy, and birth, to the first years of a child’s life – carries teachings that shape the health and strength of families and communities. Long before hospitals and modern systems, Indigenous midwives and birth helpers carried this knowledge with care, respect, and deep connection to the land, the spirit, and the community. This site is one step toward reconnecting with those teachings, not as something from the past, but as knowledge that continues to live and grow.
Here, you will find resources gathered from Indigenous midwives and community members. It is not intended to be a medical manual or a replacement for health care, but a cultural resource that honours traditional knowledge, lived experiences, and teachings that have always supported Indigenous families. By bringing these teachings together, we hope to strengthen identity, encourage community connection, and remind parents that they are not alone; they are part of a lineage of care that goes back many generations.
What you’ll find here:
A safe, respectful space that honours Indigenous traditions.
Teachings from Elders and midwives on pregnancy, birth, and early parenting.
Videos and recordings that capture traditional practices and stories.
Guidance for young mothers and fathers navigating the journey of parenthood.
Cultural knowledge that surrounds childbirth and postpartum care.
Land-based knowledge.
Why it matters:
Reclaiming traditional birth knowledge is about more than childbirth. It is about healing, restoring dignity, and building stronger communities for our children and future generations. By remembering and sharing these teachings, we affirm that Indigenous ways of knowing continue to guide us, and that they remain vital to the health of our families today.
Website dedicated to Elder Dorothy Wynn:
This website is dedicated to the late Elder Dorothy Wynne, a fierce advocate for the recognition and revival of Indigenous midwifery in Northern Ontario, who affirmed the rights of Cree life givers to give birth in dignity and safety, and with connection to culture.
Born in 1934 on her family’s trapline in Hannah Bay, and raised within a strong lineage of Cree midwives, Dorothy dedicated her life to preserving traditional birthwork and ensuring it was respected within modern health systems. From her leadership in securing the Aboriginal midwifery exemption in Ontario’s Midwifery Act, to her service on provincial and local health boards, Dorothy’s tireless efforts helped restore midwifery to northern communities – including her home Omushkego territory.
This space honours Dorothy’s enduring contributions, courage, and love for her people, as her legacy continues to inspire midwifery work today.