Indigenous Midwifery Program
Indigenous Midwifery Program
Holistic family support throughout pregnancy and postpartum, including but not limited to the services listed below.
Services Provided:
- Prenatal and postpartum visits, family visits, labour assessments and stimulation, assisted births, postpartum checks and newborn assessments, breast feeding assistance, well-baby visits and referrals
- Ceremony and Rites of Passage
- Traditional Medicine
- Group Community Based education such as Prenatal and Family Parenting, and Traditional Family Sessions such as Tiikinagan, moss bag, Traditional Roles, etc.
- Services provided by Elder Midwife, Elaine Ross, Anishinaabe'kwe,
Nootinay azshik Atik Dodem,
Northwest Angle #33
Accessing Services:
For more information, or would like to make a referral or request for service, please contact Elaine Ross, Elder Midwife:
Cell: 1-807-276-3666
Contact Form
Who is Eligible for Our Services?
Anishinaabe Families residing in 10 Anishinaabeg Communities of Southern Treaty 3, served by Gishkaandago’Ikwe Health Services.
Elaine Ross
Anishinaabe'ikwe • Elder Midwife • Nootinay Azshik • Atik Doodem • Northwest Angle #33
Elaine is passionate about providing Traditional birthing care to communities in our territory and in the spring of 2023 was recognized and formally acknowledged by Grand Council Treaty
#3 as an Anishinaabe Traditional Midwife.
A mother to two daughters and extremely proud kokum of her two grandsons, Elaine's interest in medicine and anatomy started in her early years. She found her path always taking her to
places where she could learn from the trees, the plants, the animals and where she could connect to the people who had knowledge of their medicines. She acknowledges many mentors from Turtle Island when she shares teachings and is well known in Treaty #3 (and afar) for her travelling apothecary of teas and teachings of medicines that Mother Earth gifts us.
Eventually, her path crossed with a group of birth workers from Minnesota which then led her to enroll in to the Matrona Holistic Midwifery Program. A hybrid program led by a team of midwives with decades of experience and formal training includes all components of midwifery clinical care from an Indigenous worldview. Visiting Minnesota on weekends and studying endless hours while still working, Elaine continued to build her birthing bundle. Despite the impacts of the Pandemic on travel, Elaine forged ahead and graduated from the program in the Fall 2023.
A member of the Ontario Association of Midwives, Elaine is insured as an Indigenous Midwife with the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada. She also hold training in Indigenous Breastfeeding support and is in mentorship training under Indigenous Midwives across North America. She has shared her bundle through support in a "doula" capacity for many families in the territory and supported her first birth alongside Dr. Jenks at LaVerendrye Hospital in Fort Frances 2022.
Along with her work with Giishkaandago'lkwe Health Services Indigenous Midwifery Program, Elaine supports the Birth Work Partnership between Onigaming and Big Grassy First Nations. As she grows her practice, Elaine will continue to work closely with our Elders for spiritual guidance and teachings, providing Anishinaabe midwifery care for the southern Treaty #3 and strong community based culturally rooting care for Anishinaabe families.
QUESTIONS, REFERRALS OR REQUESTS FOR SERVICE:
CELL: 1-807-276-3666