Empowering Mothers to Raise Healthy Babies
On a wintry afternoon in 2018, a group of new mothers in Kitigan Zibi, Quebec, are intently stitching together tiny moccasins. They are in a weekly support group run by Brianna Decontie – a Lakehead student on her third placement as a maternal child health nurse in this First Nations reserve north of Ottawa.
Kitigan Zibi is Brianna’s hometown and her support group introduces the mothers to good dental hygiene practices for their children and promotes maternal self-care. It’s a much richer experience than your standard health service provides because Brianna believes that blending Indigenous culture with Western medicine has a powerful impact on the health of First Nations people. “My grandfather taught me a lot about my culture and that gave me pride and resilience.”
Growing up, Brianna noticed that her community members didn’t always get adequate health care and that most medical professionals were non-Indigenous people. “Our communities have elevated rates of certain health conditions and diseases so having culturally-aware health providers is crucial.”
“The high incidence of tooth decay in First Nations communities,” Brianna adds, “motivated me to create an Anishinabe-based oral hygiene program adapted from the Ministry of Health’s Give Your Child A Health Happy Smile initiative.”
Strengthening the bond between mothers and babies was another aim of the support group. Along with moccasin making, the new moms learned about the four ways of the Medicine Wheel, which encompasses physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual elements. At story time, the mothers read traditional Algonquin tales to their children. The women also made bundles containing the sacred Anishinabe medicines of tobacco, sage, cedar, and sweetgrass. As well, Brianna encouraged them to include “a letter to their child sharing their hopes and dreams for them.”
In April 2018, Brianna became the first Lakehead student to ever receive a Professional Nursing Practice Award from the Council of Ontario University Programs in Nursing. For Brianna, nursing has transformed her life but she plans to take her involvement in health care even further. “Since the age of six I’ve wanted to be a doctor. I hope to do nursing for a couple of years and then go to med school before returning to work in Kitigan Zibi.”
Whatever path Brianna chooses, she is sure of one thing. “I will always carry the Medicine Wheel teachings with me. They shape the way I interact with patients and the way I advocate for them.”