First Nations Birth Worker Program developed
The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) is developing the first Yukon First Nations Birth Worker Program.
The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) is developing the first Yukon First Nations Birth Worker Program.
It’s a recognition that ensuring cultural safety, prioritizing Indigenous knowledge and supporting Indigenous-led health services are central to achieving the goal of eliminating anti-Indigenous racism in health systems.
Indigenous Services Canada is supporting this initiative with a total of $200,000 in 2021-2022.
The new program will bring together Yukon First Nations to share and reclaim traditional birthing practices and develop culturally relevant Yukon First Nations prenatal resources.
Part of this initiative will include the creation of two CYFN positions to support families with funding for eligible training opportunities and for all 14 Yukon First Nations to participate in training.
“This program is the first of its kind for Yukon First Nations, and it will mean that families and new parents in Yukon First Nations communities have culturally relevant supports to help nurture and welcome the next generations of their families, while working to foster a health care system free of anti-Indigenous racism,” Indigenous Services Canada said in a July 27 statement.
“Programs like the Birth Workers Program will keep Indigenous knowledge at the forefront of health care delivery, and combat anti-Indigenous racism in the health care system that creates so much suffering,” said Patty Hajdu, the federal minister of Indigenous Services who visited the Yukon late last month.
“By supporting more Indigenous people to take on roles in the health care system, services will be transformed to be culturally inclusive and accessible for generations of families to come.
“Congratulations to the Council of Yukon First Nations for the important work they are doing to help mothers, and those expecting, to access culturally safe and relevant supports during these important moments in life.”
CYFN Grand Chief Peter Johnston said his organization “is pleased to be a recipient of federal funding to support the integral work of developing Yukon First Nations prenatal resources and programming that incorporate Yukon First Nation ways into the resources and program delivery.”
Comments (12)
Up 2 Down 3
Chuck Farley on Aug 13, 2022 at 9:36 am
Observer ; nailed it
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Groucho d'North on Aug 11, 2022 at 4:22 pm
@ Observer
Spoken like a true Liberal, deflect, deny and distract. Many of us have hopes that the next generations of aboriginal Yukoners are healthy and capable- that's why I contributed my previous comment about FASD prevention. It is an issue with life-long impacts for innocent unborn babies who grow to be adults who struggle through their lives with something that is 100% preventable.
Mining companies are always in court because government moves the goal posts on them. It's white noise for many of us.
I will continue to support the staff and management of the Whitehorse Star for their coverage of the issues and events many of us want to know more about, and for their courage to provide a forum for we readers to offer our viewpoints.
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Observer on Aug 10, 2022 at 10:07 pm
Sometimes I have to wonder what the heck is going on at the WS? This is a story, that takes on more of a priority for the WS ahead of things like Victoria Gold taking the Yukon Water Board to court over the size of security payments? Why would the WS print a story that is right up the alley of the loyal right wing nuts to comment on and nothing but crickets on the Victoria Gold story?? Makes me wonder.
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melba on Aug 10, 2022 at 4:17 pm
I am dissappointed that the letters 'FAS' were no where to be found in this article.
The most important health issue facing indigenous pregnancies is the preponderance of drinking alcohol while pregnant. All the racism that supposedly exists in our hospital is not going to do the damage that good 'ol Mom is going to do with a bottle of booze.
Let's target the low hanging fruit and get the women who need help staying away from alcohol while pregnant, out into a resort in the woods or something. Any amount spent on that will have a payback for society, let alone the baby, that far outstrips the money spent.
END FAS. 100% preventable.
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Posies’ posings pose some supportive hyperbole for the posers… on Aug 10, 2022 at 9:21 am
The irony - Posie on Aug 9, 2022 at 12:29 pm:
Ring around the Rosie, pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes, we all fall down… Of course posies in this lyrical encapsulation of the plague were meant to ward off disease… Of course we know today that ‘posies’ served the purpose of distraction from the spread of the plague. Posies were a symbol of false hope against the terror of the “Black Death”.
Thus, the parallels between Liberalism and Posies are obvious. The rights of FN peoples should be guaranteed but not at the expense of any other person. Liberal equity (Posies) is a prescriptive application of intolerance and privilege to one group over another based on the arbitrariness of categorical imperatives.
The politics of pitchforks and torches - Mob rule. Todays Black Plague is liberalism, a parasitic relationship by which the host is killed. The posies of today are manifest as equity - It does nothing to address the societal infection of Liberalism while placing everyone in danger because people cannot smell the necrotising fasciitis… Even though you can see the black, puss-filled lesions eating away at the flesh of the body politic.
The sooner we are rid of the L-NDP alliance the sooner we can be free from the oppressive categoricals of the ‘progressive’ (sic) agenda.
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bonanzajoe on Aug 9, 2022 at 8:48 pm
Primitive culture; survival rates of Indigenous children; hadn't developed a written language. It's true none the less, even if you don't like it. Why is the white race truth racist. All these facts have been documented. But, perhaps you could show us some ancient Indigenous writings and written historical records. As a history buff, I for one would love to see them.
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Posie on Aug 9, 2022 at 12:29 pm
@iBrian
Primitive culture? Survival Rates of Indigenous Children? Hadn't Developed a written language? Sorry you're a little bitter?
The rights afforded to First Nations people in Yukon are guaranteed in their agreements. Those agreements afforded rights to all parties who signed, the Feds and the Territory. If you don't have a clue what you're talking about and you're writing at a grade five level, this might be the reason you didn't get the job.
I for one, do not feel bad for you. You sound like you moved here expecting your privilege to provide.
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comen sense on Aug 9, 2022 at 11:43 am
Division setting more precedents and money spending, if I was native, would be saying to myself this current government is out to lunch, and the way they are going we're going to be broke as a country.
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MITCH on Aug 9, 2022 at 10:09 am
Awesome to see this on the tails of midwife programming, that to my mind is properly done. No outrage PR to lead, just doing what seems right without expecting laurels for it. I wish more governance was as such.
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Groucho d'North on Aug 9, 2022 at 9:40 am
I hope this program is an immediate success and provides the outcomes all are hoping for. I will suggest that adding FASD prevention would be a worthy goal to add to their mandate.
Best wishes for success!
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iBrian on Aug 9, 2022 at 5:30 am
So… we’re digging a wallow under a spruce tree?
Another one of these yuppie woke programs. Over glorifying primitive culture. The FN had high percentages of infant mortality. High amount. Number are not know as they hadn’t developed written language. But Russian and French explorers had documented many villages across Turtle Island with low survival rates.
Sorry, getting a little bitter, just competed for a job and got beat out by someone who doesn’t have a license and had no experience; so not qualified. But his Status card handed him more points for a win.
And we’re supposed to apologize for something we didn’t do, and now that same stuff is being done to us but we’re supposed to submit???
Up 32 Down 9
bonanzajoe on Aug 8, 2022 at 8:39 pm
Will Yukon's newest Liberal Government postman MP Hanley be delivering another multi million dollar cheque for this new program?