'Historic event': Sask. First Nation sees first on-reserve birth in 50 years

PRINCE ALBERT -

Next to a warm fireplace, Ashley Rabbitskin delivered her son Kaleo at 7:01 a.m. on Feb. 23 in the healing lodge on Sturgeon Lake First Nation.

It was the first birth to take place on the reserve in over 50-years.

“The baby came out just perfect and crying,” said the Sturgeon Lake Health Centre director of health Shirley Bighead.

“And he knew he was welcomed into this world. It was such an exciting, historic event that we will be doing on a regular basis.”

Two midwives, two support workers and two registered nurses were on hand to help.

Sturgeon Lake First Nation has worked since 1995 to incorporate Cree culture, language and spiritual practices in its health services.

Five years ago, it was one of three communities approved to work with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada to re-establish on-reserve birthing.

First Nation women with low-risk pregnancies are welcomed into the program. It includes cultural teachings about birth and child-rearing, a pipe ceremony and a naming ceremony where the baby is given a Cree name. Pregnant women are encouraged to see a doctor for check-ups.

Norma Rabbitskin, a registered nurse and Kaleo’s grandmother, is the project lead.

“Our babies are born with our culture. They are happier and safer. And the ceremony has grounded them in our traditions,” Rabbitskin said.

The midwives helping with the delivery were from Manitoba and Ontario. Rabbitskin says SLFN was previously working with a midwife from Minnesota because they couldn’t find any First Nations midwives in Saskatchewan.

SLFN is working with the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives to recruit and train midwives through distance education.

“We know that there's not enough. We can't recruit any. We want to work with the province of Saskatchewan to have culturally safe birthing,” she said.

Rabbitskin hopes to train or hire a midwife for the community who will also offer holistic health and wellbeing consultation in pre-conception, pregnancy, birth and palliative care.

The SLFN band council have approved design plans for a cultural birthing centre to be built in the community. The centre will include four birthing areas, a birthing tub and a family room.

Bighead says they are assessing the human resources needs for the centre and researching health regulations to create legislation to ensure safe birthing practices on the First Nation.

SLFN hopes to have the centre operational by the end of 2023.