Anishinaabe, Cree, Inuit, Mohawk, and Oji-Cree women join Horizons in Guatemala for Knowledge Exchange
The Indigenous delegation met with Indigenous Maya K’iche’ authorities and health experts in Guatemala to exchange strategies and experiences on women, children, and adolescent’s health and rights.
Horizons of Friendship (Horizons) is deeply honoured to have been joined by seven incredibly engaged and experienced Indigenous women with varying backgrounds in maternal and child health, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. Between February 7th-17th, the delegation met with Indigenous Maya K’iche’ counterparts and health experts primarily from western highlands of Totonicapán, Guatemala. This Knowledge Exchange is a part of the “Reducing Gaps for Indigenous for Indigenous Peoples” project, an initiative funded by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada that aims to reduce maternal and child mortality in the predominantly Indigenous Maya K’iche’ department of Totonicapán. Reciprocal knowledge exchanges between Guatemala and Canada are a cornerstone of the Reducing Gaps project as a means to bring new perspectives, ideas, and partnerships to end maternal and infant mortality and advance sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and Guatemala.
Meet The Delegates
![(left to right) Karen Lawford, Linda Gray, Margaret Mina, Hattie Petawabano, Cris Rego, Martha Flaherty, Carolyn Minera [Eng/Spa translator], and JoJoe Van Hooser.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5974ff201e5b6c34b275b3a1/1582052748710-AAVLEGHTT7ZLWHBQ0QQM/_DSC3867.jpg)
(left to right) Karen Lawford, Linda Gray, Margaret Mina, Hattie Petawabano, Cris Rego, Martha Flaherty, Carolyn Minera [Eng/Spa translator], and JoJoe Van Hooser.
Karen Lawford
Karen Lawford, PhD, is an Aboriginal midwife from Namegosibiing (Trout Lake, Lac Seul First Nation, Treaty 3) and a registered midwife (Ontario). Dr. Lawford is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Gender Studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Her research focuses on the provision of maternity care for those who live on reserve and understanding the legislative, policy, and program barriers to equitable reproductive health services. She also conducts research that examines the leadership of Indigenous women and Two Spirit people within health care and health sciences.
Linda Gray
Linda Gray is Oji-Cree, born and raised in the beautiful Cree community of Mistissini Lake, Quebec. Coming from descendants of midwives and growing up speaking three languages – Cree, English and French – Linda carries a passion to help others and be involved with growing families. She is currently working as a Community Health Representative (CHR) within the A Mashkupimatisit Awash program of the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay. The A Mashkupimatisit Awash program focuses on Maternal and Child health and involves a diverse, interdisciplinary team of care providers including CHRs
CHRs act as intermediaries and facilitate communication between community members and various health workers, as well as acting as leaders, educators and promoters of health, safety and wellness in the home, community and the Community Miyupimaatisiuun Center (clinic). The learning that CHRs like Linda share focuses on empowerment, adaptation, self-management and self-advocacy, while emphasizing care that is culturally appropriate. Linda’s goal is to ensure her cultural knowledge and language will be carried and passed on to future generations.
Margaret Mina
Margaret is a Registered Midwife at the Inukjuak Local Community Services Centre (CLSC) and Innuilitsivik Health Centre in Nunavik, Northern Quebec, where she provides care to women from age 14-70 including well woman care (sexual health and contraception), maternity care for pregnant women including prenatal care, labour and birth, and postpartum care for women and their babies for six weeks in a remote Inuit community with a population of 1,800 people and 50 or more births per year. She is on call on a 24/7 rotation with a team of health care providers and arranges medevacs as needed for women with higher risk factors. A member of the 2019-2020 National Aboriginal Council of Midwives Core Leadership Circle, Margaret is also a mother of four girls and enjoys sewing, fishing, hunting, camping, traveling and throat singing. Despite never hearing about midwifery during her school years, Margaret loves her job and feels that midwifery came into her life as if it was her destiny.
Martha Flaherty posing in front of Lake Atitlán, Panajachel, Guatemala.
Hattie Petawabano
Hattie Petawabano is Cree from James Bay, and lives in the Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec. Raised in her hometown for most of her life, and speaking three languages – Cree, English, French – Hattie is dedicated to helping her community and the beautiful people in it. She has been working with the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay for seven years and is currently a Community Health Representative (CHR) within the A Mashkupimatisit Awash Maternal and Child Health program. Hattie works closely with pediatric nurses and the visiting pediatrician, as well as community workers, social workers, nutritionists, occupational therapists, speech language therapists and various visiting health professionals.
In her role as a CHR, Hattie is an advocate for health in her community, working together in helping build stronger and healthier families. She was led into this profession by her role model – her late grandmother who was a strong traditional Cree woman and a midwife thatshared many inspirational stories with Hattie when growing up. Hattie hopes to practice midwifery in the near future and bring back midwifery to her community.
Cristine “Cris” Rego
Cristine “Cris” Rego has committed her work to making positive change for Indigenous people and raising awareness to build allies. She is from Lac Seul First Nation and is a Registered Social Worker that owns Rego and Associates Consulting and is a Professor at the School of Justice and Community Wellness of Fleming College in Peterborough, Ontario. Cris has spoken and presented her work at a national and international level on many issues such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Intergenerational Trauma, Violence Against Women, building resiliency, suicide awareness, the sex traffic trade and the vulnerability of Indigenous youth. She has been a facilitator and speaker at Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) conferences on Indigenous issues and assisted in developing training material for OPSEU.
Cris follows her Traditional Teachings and has been able to balance western knowledge and traditional knowledge in a way that acknowledges the gifts that both bring to healing. Cris is a grandmother, a hand drummer and is eager to be able to share and learn.
Martha Flaherty
Born in Inukjuak, Nunavik, Northern Quebec in 1950, Martha experienced forced relocation to Ellesmere Island (Gris Fiord) at the age of five. She survived isolation, starvation and trauma to become an advocate for women and Inuit rights, language and culture. Martha has spent her adult life in advocacy, translating and interpreting for Inuit. Inspired by her grandfather, Robert Flaherty’s film Nanook of the North, Martha produced her own film Martha of the North documenting her relocation experience. The film has had screenings in both Canada and Guatemala. She has also worked with the National Film Board producing a series of Inuit culture vignettes. Martha is a former president and current board member of Pauktuutit, the Inuit Women’s Association of Canada. She has three children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Joanne “JoJoe” Van Hooser
Joanne Van Hooser (normally referred to as “JoJoe”) is a strong and proud Kanehsata:ke-OnkwehonweMohawk woman from the Bay of Quinte Mohawks, Tyendinaga Territory. She has over 25 years of experience working with youth in crisis, including in connection with Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, human trafficking, gangs and intergenerational trauma. Many of the youth she has worked with suffer with mental health and addictions. She is keenly aware that she works within a Western system as the only Indigenous Child Protection worker who has been affected personally by CAS and intergenerational trauma, but JoJoe keeps Indigenous traditions and teachings at the forefront of her work to educate families on incorporating Indigenous traditional ways of parenting and living.
JoJoe works to balance Western urban worldviews and perspectives with her own traditional Mohawk cultural beliefs and strives to incorporate these into her social work practice and personal life. JoJoe is passionate about working with youth, children and families to make a difference in their lives, and hopes to accomplish positive outcomes for her community, culture, and future generations. She has independently raised a young Mohawk man and has now welcomed to her small but blossoming family a child from the Urban Aboriginal community who is Annishabee and Inuit in a Customary care agreement.
JoJoe Van Hooser and Cris Rego meet Doña Nazaria Xiloj (middle), a Comadrona with the Reducing Gaps project.