This Indigenous midwife is collecting traditional knowledge to encourage culturally-appropriate care

When Agnes Corston recounts her birth story and childhood it brings up happy memories.

"I wasn't born in a hospital, I was born in a home, in a little shack," she said.

"I had a very nice childhood we were brought up on the land. We were never in a residential school."

Corston, 84, lives in Moose Factory, Ont., near the James Bay coast. She shared her story with Alyssa Gagnon, an Indigenous midwife from Cochrane, who started a project calledNihtwikiwin, which means growth.

Gagnon is collecting elders' birth stories to learn more about their lives and how Indigenous midwifery worked "once upon a time."

"We're compiling these stories because it's extremely important to preserve the knowledge of our elders," Gagnon said.

"Especially in this context, because it hasn't really been done before in our territory."

Gagnon said connection to the land is a big part of the project.

Being able to hear these stories is a huge privilege.- Alyssa Gagnon, midwife

"Our people were nomadic and travelled and hunted according to seasons," she said.

"And so, you know, traveling to different communities is sort of like a journey through time. And being able to hear these stories is a huge privilege."

She said one thing that stood out interviewing Cree elders in Ontario's far north was how happy and healthy they were as children, growing up on the land.

Some elders she interviewed, like Corston, were even named after the midwives who helped their mothers.

Gagnon said she wants to bring more cultural practices to midwifery, which include speaking the Cree language and using her hands in different ways. She practices hide tanning as a way to connect with her culture.

The National Council of Indigenous Midwives says there should be a midwife in every Indigenous community in Canada.

"I truly believe that we're on our way there," Gagnon said.

She hopes the Nihtwikiwin Project can play a role in bringing traditional midwifery knowledge to the forefront.

Gagnon said one of her goals is to share that knowledge with Cree midwifery students.