International Day of the Midwife

May 5 is a special opportunity to honour the deep care and commitment midwives bring to our communities. In Eeyou Istchee, they walk alongside families throughout the sacred journey of pregnancy, birth, post-partum and new life: offering not just clinical support, but compassion, trust, and cultural understanding. 

Their care is person-centered, grounded in Cree values, and built on relationships. Every birth they attend is more than a moment, it’s a continuation of identity, of language, of belonging. 

This day is also a time to celebrate a powerful step forward: the Eeyou Istchee Pimaatisiiwin Chiskutimaachawin (EIPC) utinaausuwin (midwifery) training program. This program carries a bold and beautiful vision: to restore Eeyou-Eenou utinaausuwin from root to branch. 

With five chiskutimwaakanch (learners) currently in training, learning side by side with practicing midwives, we are witnessing something truly meaningful: a living transmission of knowledge, from one generation to the next. We are proud of this collaboration, where wisdom, experience, and culture are being passed on with care, keeping the spirit of Cree midwifery strong for the future. To train our own midwives, right here on our land, is to reclaim a sacred role. It means that births can happen closer to home, surrounded by family, tradition, and love. 

Meegwetch, Chiniskumitin to all our dear midwives, past, present, and future.