The Sturgeon Lake First Nation is the first tribe in Saskatchewan, and one of the few in the country, to open an on-reserve birthing lodge, which will follow cultural practices.
STURGEON LAKE, Sask.-Recently, members of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation celebrated the grand opening of the Shirley Bighead Nihtāwiki and Ohpikihāwasowin Birthing and Child-rearing Lodge. This is the first Indigenous-led birthing lodge on a First Nation in Saskatchewan.
Before the birthing lodge came to be, pregnant women had to travel to larger cities, such as Prince Albert or Saskatoon to give birth.
Not only will the birthing lodge be available to First Nations' women, but the births will follow traditional Cree customs, including the options for ceremony and family participation.
"Being able to give birth close to home, surrounded by family, tradition, culture and ceremony, will not only help mothers to experience deliveries in a less stressful and more familiar setting, but also welcome their children into a safe, welcoming, and loving environment," said the Honorable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services. "In addition, facilities such as this lodge provide employment and training opportunities for Indigenous youth, including those from Sturgeon Lake First Nation, who choose to pursue careers in the healthcare industry without having to travel outside of their communities."
So far, Indigenous Services Canada has invested more than $20 million in the Shirley Bighead Birthing and Childrearing Lodge, which includes funding for facility construction, operations, policy development and programming. The government will also provide more than $683,000 annually to support birth-related programs and services. However, leaders at the lodge note that the project still needs more funding.
"This means a great deal to our community. For too long, our mothers had to leave home to give birth, away from their families, their supports, and their ceremonies-a separation that echoes the losses our people have carried for generations," said Sturgeon Lake First Nation chief, Christine Longjohn. "Birth is not only a moment in time. It is the beginning of a relationship-to family, to community, to language, and to the land. When that beginning happens at home, in ceremony, it shapes how that child comes to understand who they are.
"We are grateful to the Government of Canada and Indigenous Services Canada for their partnership and investment in making this vision a reality, and to all those whose tireless work helped bring this lodge to life. [This] is not just a celebration. It is an answer to generations of loss-to the children taken to residential schools, to the mothers who gave birth alone, far from home. We have not forgotten. But today, we turn toward a new era-one where the circle, long broken, begins again."
