​Birthing is an inherent right; however, a history of white colonialist policies in Canada has demolished those inherent rights for Indigenous women and led to intergenerational impacts on Indigenous mothers, their children, and their communities. For Indigenous mothers, birth has become a traumatic experience where they are alone without family or partners, hundreds of miles from their communities and thrust into a Western biophysical model devoid of the rich cultural traditions and heritage, leaving them vulnerable to coerced sterilization, child apprehension and an increased risk of maternal and infant mortality. Despite the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), movement to provide Indigenous mothers with reproductive justice has been slow and almost non-existent in some areas. In this paper, I will argue that current Canadian government policies cause intergenerational harm and trauma as well as argue for the importance of access to culturally safe birthing options honouring Indigenous traditions, which will have lasting benefits for Indigenous mothers and their communities.

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This piece was published in Tulips: The Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Undergraduate Journal 2024 issue. It was also presented at the Flaunting It Undergraduate Conference in 2024.