Kathleen Lounsbury Namgis First Nation, Kwakwaka'wakw
PhD Candidate, RN, MSN
Trinity Western University, Canada
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Weaving Knowledges: Sharing Ni Noxsola Stories about Kwakwak'awakw Birthing Experiences
Lounsbury, K., Rieger, K., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Bennet, M., Voyageur, E., Newman, V., Beans, S., Smith, M., Scow, E., Cook, P., Cranmer, A., Cranmer, G.
15-minute Oral Presentation
Monday 9 December, 11:20am
Purpose: The biomedical model for perinatal healthcare does not situate Kwakwa̱ka̱ʼwakw women in culturally relevant and safe practices to birth their children. There is a pressing need to preserve and transmit cultural knowledge, language, and practices surrounding childbirth, and the art of storytelling in a culturally relevant way.
Methods: We used storytelling (kitchen stories and digital stories) to gather birthing stories to address our research aim. We partnered with the Namgis First Nation Band and U’Mista Cultural Centre to invite seven Ni Noxsola and one woman of childbearing age to participate. We held a series of kitchen stories, where our participants cooked traditional foods together while conversing about the time surrounding birth in Kwakwa’la. We then co-created digital stories about their birthing experiences. A compilation video was made for the community.
Results: Gathering these stories allowed for re-imagined Indigenous research methods, characterized by their orality, connection to land, language, and timelessness.
Conclusion: This project addressed a critical need in these communities, illuminating important cultural practices surrounding perinatal health to support childbearing women with culturally appropriate healthcare.