Indigenous Birth of Alberta Mentorship Program
Donation protected
Friends and Family,
I'm creating this fundraiser to support the Indigenous birthworker mentorship program in Alberta, created by Nadia Houle the founder of Indigenous Birth of Alberta. This 13 month program is meant to reconnect Indigenous birth workers, including midwives, with cultural teachings and ceremony that they can then incorporate into practice with the goal of providing culturally safe care to families in community. Indigenous-led birth and culturally safe care are instrumental in healing the lasting intergenerational traumas of colonization and residential school in our communities. As a settler and treaty person, supporting this program financially is a small part I can play in my own personal as well as wider journey of reconciliation. I care deeply about the future of midwifery in Alberta being one where all communities are served equitably. I'm inviting you to contribute as well! My current goal is to raise $2,500, which is enough to fully sponsor one mentee in the program. Any amount small or large that you feel comfortable donating would be just wonderful.
Here is Nadia explaining a bit about the program and request for donations:
'Do you want to be a part of something big?
Do you want to be a part of changing the lives of indigenous people?
We have a group of 25 indigenous folx who will be walking through 13 months together to (re)learn (re)claim (re)awaken the knowledge around reproductive health through an indigenous lens and wrapped around in ceremony. This mentorship journey will be fully mentored by indigenous birthworkers, knowledge keepers and elders.
We need your support!!!
The group has committed to this journey and using the knowledge in a good way to improve the lives of our people and the health of our communities. Many of the mentees are being lovingly supported and encouraged by their communities, places of work, or supporting organizations to cover their costs.
However, some are also paying out of pocket, travelling distances or taking time off of work to make sure they can attend the gatherings and ceremonies. If you have walked this life, you know what commitment to ceremony looks like.
We are looking for donations for our journey- either sponsorship of an indigenous person to attend which the funds are used to support the time given by elders, knowledge keepers, guest speakers, protocol and gifts. We will use extra funds for offsetting costs for the mentees' travel, accomodation, extra workshops and ceremony attendence, etc.
If you are wanting to be a part of this beautiful journey, please consider helping through continued or onetime cash donation of any amount, sponsoring a spot, or donating some kick ass swag for our mentees and our teachers.
We will also be having gifts for our mentees as they begin on this journey, so if you have a place of business, WE would LOVE to test YOUR products out and share your amazing products with our families and birthworkers.
(Conditions are in place for businesses that qualify, such as needing to display being: WHO Code Compliant, Cultural & Gender Inclusive, Anti Racist/Sexist/Ageist and Environmentally Friendly. Please contact us for more info.)
*Disclaimer: We are a grassroots organization and can provide a receipt or payment, but we are NOT a registered charity so the receipt may not result in a tax break, if you are donating solely for that purpose.'
Here is the website below for further reading, and facebook page.
www.indigenousbirthalberta.org
https://www.facebook.com/indigenousbirthalberta
This is a current statement from the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives (NACM) detailing the crucial role of Indigenous Midwifery in providing culturally safe, anti-racist healthcare in Canada.
https://files.constantcontact.com/65b11a78201/242f3b39-394c-40c0-875a-0c5de9254b9a.pdf
note: Main photo taken from https://indigenousmidwifery.ca/posters/
Thank you and take care,
Emily
I'm creating this fundraiser to support the Indigenous birthworker mentorship program in Alberta, created by Nadia Houle the founder of Indigenous Birth of Alberta. This 13 month program is meant to reconnect Indigenous birth workers, including midwives, with cultural teachings and ceremony that they can then incorporate into practice with the goal of providing culturally safe care to families in community. Indigenous-led birth and culturally safe care are instrumental in healing the lasting intergenerational traumas of colonization and residential school in our communities. As a settler and treaty person, supporting this program financially is a small part I can play in my own personal as well as wider journey of reconciliation. I care deeply about the future of midwifery in Alberta being one where all communities are served equitably. I'm inviting you to contribute as well! My current goal is to raise $2,500, which is enough to fully sponsor one mentee in the program. Any amount small or large that you feel comfortable donating would be just wonderful.
Here is Nadia explaining a bit about the program and request for donations:
'Do you want to be a part of something big?
Do you want to be a part of changing the lives of indigenous people?
We have a group of 25 indigenous folx who will be walking through 13 months together to (re)learn (re)claim (re)awaken the knowledge around reproductive health through an indigenous lens and wrapped around in ceremony. This mentorship journey will be fully mentored by indigenous birthworkers, knowledge keepers and elders.
We need your support!!!
The group has committed to this journey and using the knowledge in a good way to improve the lives of our people and the health of our communities. Many of the mentees are being lovingly supported and encouraged by their communities, places of work, or supporting organizations to cover their costs.
However, some are also paying out of pocket, travelling distances or taking time off of work to make sure they can attend the gatherings and ceremonies. If you have walked this life, you know what commitment to ceremony looks like.
We are looking for donations for our journey- either sponsorship of an indigenous person to attend which the funds are used to support the time given by elders, knowledge keepers, guest speakers, protocol and gifts. We will use extra funds for offsetting costs for the mentees' travel, accomodation, extra workshops and ceremony attendence, etc.
If you are wanting to be a part of this beautiful journey, please consider helping through continued or onetime cash donation of any amount, sponsoring a spot, or donating some kick ass swag for our mentees and our teachers.
We will also be having gifts for our mentees as they begin on this journey, so if you have a place of business, WE would LOVE to test YOUR products out and share your amazing products with our families and birthworkers.
(Conditions are in place for businesses that qualify, such as needing to display being: WHO Code Compliant, Cultural & Gender Inclusive, Anti Racist/Sexist/Ageist and Environmentally Friendly. Please contact us for more info.)
*Disclaimer: We are a grassroots organization and can provide a receipt or payment, but we are NOT a registered charity so the receipt may not result in a tax break, if you are donating solely for that purpose.'
Here is the website below for further reading, and facebook page.
www.indigenousbirthalberta.org
https://www.facebook.com/indigenousbirthalberta
This is a current statement from the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives (NACM) detailing the crucial role of Indigenous Midwifery in providing culturally safe, anti-racist healthcare in Canada.
https://files.constantcontact.com/65b11a78201/242f3b39-394c-40c0-875a-0c5de9254b9a.pdf
note: Main photo taken from https://indigenousmidwifery.ca/posters/
Thank you and take care,
Emily
Organizer
Emily West
Organizer
Calgary, AB