A dainty hand, a watchful eye, and a lioness’ heart.
Midwifery is present in every culture around the world, and for thousands of years on this island, maternal care was left in the hands of women. Babies entered the world surrounded by ceremonial songs or their parents being the first to speak to them. For Mi'kmaw women, colonization impacted life in every way, including altering the cultural activities surrounding birth.
Early settler women who came to the Island originally relied on midwives when they gave birth. In addition to providing medical care, “local women” would look after other children and household chores for days after the actual delivery. At the end of the 19th century, the emerging field of obstetrics viewed midwives as competition. Midwifery became illegal on PEI and subject to a hefty fine, but some doctors recognized the necessity of relying on midwives, particularly in rural areas, because without their expertise, women and babies would die. If compensation was made, it might be money but was more likely to be eggs! Please scan the QR code to hear the tales of some “local women”.
In 2024, after decades of women demanding a modern version of midwifery on the Island, the province hired its first two midwives to provide care before and after births. In 2026, the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of PEI in partnership with PEI’s College of Nursing and Midwifery launched a new Practice Directive on Indigenous Cultural Safety, Cultural Humility, and Anti-Racism, which is now a mandatory part of the annual license renewal.
Content Warning: Please be advised that some of the audio stories in the links below contain graphic details around childbirth and related complications.