This has been a long time coming. I was hoping to get this letter out to you all early in June but sometimes life gets chaotic and things don't go as planned! So here we are, mid-July with so much news for you all! Here's what we want to share with you this month:
Our first meeting with our Knowledge Keepers Advisory Committee
Abortion Support program in Yellowknife
Advocacy Update
Offerings update
Knowledge Keepers
On June 4th we had our first Knowledge Keepers Advisory Committee meeting! It was a beautiful day with beautiful people. So many good stories were shared and we learned so much from these amazing women.
The purpose of this committee is to support Dehga in the development of the Indigenous Birthwork Training. We are so lucky to work with Lesley, Ruth, Bev and Rosa. Big thank you to Jennie Vandermeer Consulting for facilitating.
We will be meeting with the committee quarterly, with our next meeting likely to be in October.
Abortion Support
We are officially launching our abortion support program!
The overturning of Roe v. Wade has been weighing heavy on us. It’s in times like these that we are reminded of how unjust and harmful the systems in this world are. It’s also in times like these that we are reminded why we do this work.
Please share this widely in your networks, or if you are part of another organization who supports people who might access abortion, let us know if you'd like a poster!
Learn more about the program here or check out our brochure here.
Advocacy
This collective started off as a dream to increase the number of birthworkers in the NWT and make sure their services were safe and accessible for BIPGM folks (Indigenous, Black, People of the Global Majority) and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
While we have always been political, our work has really flourished into becoming a reproductive justice advocacy project for our community. This includes speaking up and speaking out for our community whenever they approach us about issues they are facing receiving their reproductive care!
If you, or anyone you know, has a matter you'd like to bring forward for us to support you in, please email us.
We are here to support you.
In June, Dehga presented to the Standing Committee on Social Development in their review of housing policy, with a focus on preventing homelessness. Dehga spoke to the challenges and injustices Indigenous birthing people face when it comes to housing in the NWT, and how all the intersecting social determinants of health impact pregnant people.
Offerings
In addition to our abortion support program, we offer cost-supported birthwork/doula care. You can find a birthworker here. If one isn't available to attend your labour and birth, you can still work with a birthworker for your prenatal and postpartum care!
Learn more about what birthworkers are and what we do here!
Our other main offering is supporting folks who are experiencing evacuation from their home community for their reproductive care. We offer support with accommodations, travel for additional escorts, a gift card program to help people access food and perinatal/baby care items, and taxi vouchers for transportation in the city.
