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Biography & Autobiography Personal Memoirs

Birth on the Land

Memories of Inuit Elders and Traditional Midwives

by (author) Beverly O'Brien

Publisher
Nunavut Arctic College
Initial publish date
Jan 2013
Category
Personal Memoirs, Pregnancy & Childbirth
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781897568101
    Publish Date
    Jan 2013
    List Price
    $19.95

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Description

In Birth on the Land, Elders and traditional midwives from ten Nunavut communities share memories of traditional birth.
They share how they sometimes laboured and birthed quietly and alone, while other times they were surrounded by the love and support of their family or community. They describe, and even demonstrate, what they did to facilitate an easy birth and give newborns the best possible start in life.
The Elders and traditional midwives also share memories about the transition from giving birth in igluit or tents to having to do so in the company of strangers in institutions introduced by southern colonizers. They remember a time when pregnancy, birth, and death were accepted
as a part of life, and when Elders, rather than southern caregivers, were the sources of wisdom and authority.
Birth on the Land reintroduces contemporary readers to the time-honoured midwifery practices that were used in Nunavut for generations, and provides invaluable insight for caregivers in contemporary Nunavut about caring for pregnant women and giving birth the "Inuit way."

About the author

Beverley O'Brien is a professor in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Alberta.

Beverly O'Brien's profile page