Inuit Women's Voices from Nunavut, Canada: Informing Perinatal Support Needs and Priorities

Area of Science:

• Indigenous Health Research
• Reproductive Health
• Community-Based Participatory Research

Background:

• Evacuation policies for childbirth in Nunavut disrupt Inuit kinship networks and birthing knowledge.
• There is a gap in Inuit-led understandings of sexual and reproductive health priorities.
• Research focused on Kivallirmiut women in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify Inuit women's priorities for perinatal health and care.
• To address the gap in Inuit-led sexual and reproductive health research.
• To understand the impact of evacuation policies on Inuit women's lives.

Main Methods:

• Community-based Indigenous methodology rooted in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit.
• Indigenous feminist, postcolonial, and decolonial theories.
• Survey data collection to identify perinatal health needs and priorities.

Main Results:

• Inuit women seek perinatal information and support from Elders and peer networks.
• Participants expressed interest in information on medical evacuation, breastfeeding, and postpartum healing.
• Various models for delivering perinatal information and support were identified.

Conclusions:

• Existing evacuation-based perinatal care misaligns with Kivalliq communities' needs and priorities.
• The disconnection highlights colonial assumptions within healthcare systems.
• There is a need for culturally centered perinatal supports emphasizing kinship and relational care.