Cheryllee Bourgeois
Cheryllee Bourgeois, known as sâpwâpahpâm nipiy iskwew (Woman who sees through water), is a mother of three and a Red River Métis midwife. Cheryllee descends from a large French Michif-speaking family with strong family and historical ties to St Boniface, St Pierre-Jolys, and Elm Creek Manitoba. Her great-grandparents, Sarah and Augustin Carriere, participated in the Red River Resistance of 1869. Today, she resides in Tkaronto (Toronto) where she has practiced midwifery for 17 years.
Born and raised in British Columbia, Cheryllee grew up in an intergenerational home and spent her childhood summers traveling, camping, and visiting family across the prairie Métis homelands. The seeds for her future work as a midwife were planted when she was young, when she found herself surrounded by relatives staying at her home, especially during pregnancies. Raised to be a helper, Cheryllee spent a lot time in the kitchen with her aunties, peeling potatoes and sharing family stories.
As a teenager, Cheryllee was a registered member of Métis Nation British Columbia and a founding member of the BC United Métis Youth Circle in the late 90s. These early experiences in nation-building significantly influenced her career. She carried this understanding of governance into her Indigenous midwifery journey, establishing strong relationships with Métis and other Indigenous midwives and teachers. Confident in her Métis identity, Cheryllee co-founded two Indigenous-led urban organizations: Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto and the Toronto Birth Centre. Her work at the Call Auntie Clinic focuses on providing low-barrier sexual and reproductive midwifery care to Indigenous relatives who typically do not access healthcare.
Cheryllee has passionately advocated for the decriminalization and recognition of Indigenous midwives and Indigenous birth sovereignty. She has been a prominent voice at key events, including the International Congress of Midwives regional Americas conference in Paraguay and the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
About
Darlene Birch
Darlene Birch, also known as Askihk Akohp Iskwew (Earth Blanket Woman), is a Cree-Métis midwife from the Red River Valley. The Red River, which winds northward from the US-Canadian border to Lake Winnipeg, is a central image in the story of the Métis people, who once traveled freely along its trade routes. To Darlene it is the lifeblood of Mother Earth, connecting the land and the protective waters inside a mother’s womb across time.
Darlene grew up deeply immersed in her maternal family’s Cree-Métis culture. Her grandmother, Kathleen Normand, was born in the Red River Valley, and her grandfather, Laurence Lamirande, was born in North Dakota. Her family maintained a close connection to their culture and ancestral lands through gardening, hunting, wild harvesting, and raising families. Following family tradition, Darlene had her first child at home, assisted by her husband, at a time when Indigenous midwives were oppressed and ancestral teachings were hard to find.Darlene’s journey into midwifery began with her own experiences as a mother. She prayed for a time when respect and trust in the natural ability to give birth would return and that she would be part of the community who supported that. This prayer was answered as she became a midwife, caring for families, attending home births, and learning about the healing ceremony of birth. She had three more children while continuing to support families in Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan and Ontario.
Darlene’s passion is reclaiming Indigenous midwifery knowledge and practice. She worked as a curriculum developer and instructor for the Kanaci Otinawawasowin (Sacred Midwifery) Midwifery Program at UCN in Manitoba. Teaching brought her to the semi-remote community of Kinosao Sipi Cree Nation, where she established a midwifery practice and a home for 11 years.
Throughout her career, Darlene developed lifelong reciprocal relationships with learners and the families she served. In 2014, she received the Oscar Lathlin Memorial Award for her leadership in self-determination. As a founding member of the National Council of Indigenous Midwives (NCIM), she continues to bring experiential learning to her mentoring and curriculum development. Darlene lives with her life partner on the east side of Lake Winnipeg, Treaty One Territory, the homeland of the Métis.
Nathalie Pambrun
Nathalie Pambrun, also known as Pîsimoyâpiy iskwew (Rainbow Woman), is a proud member of the Métis Nation. Nathalie grew up in a large family that believed a strong Métis Nation was built on strong Métis families. Confronting challenges of poverty, discrimination, and identity, they upheld principles of autonomy and resourcefulness. Nathalie’s ancestors, the Franco-Manitoban Red River Métis, lived at the fork of the Assiniboine and Red Rivers. Nathalie and their partner have three children they are raising with these principles.
Nathalie is a founding member, former co-chair, and staff member of the National Council of Indigenous Midwives (NCIM). They played a key role in building partnerships between the Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM) and NACM, focusing on self-determination, reciprocity, and humility.
As the first Indigenous president of CAM, Nathalie integrated Indigenous governance principles and prioritized a national strategy for equitable access, trauma-informed care, and anti-racist approaches in Canadian midwifery. Their work has significantly impacted the field.
A midwife for 20 years, Nathalie primarily practiced in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 territory, working with urban Indigenous teens and newcomers to Canada. In fall 2022, their family relocated to Victoria, British Columbia, on Lək̓ʷəŋən territory. Following the guidance of Coast Salish families, Nathalie now works with another Red River Métis midwife at the Foundry Victoria Youth Clinic, Victoria Native Friendship Center and Songhees Wellness Center. Together, they are reclaiming their full scope of care, providing youth access to local Elders, including teachings about roles, responsibilities, wellness, and healthy relationships. They also support life-givers with mental health and substance use issues, helping them navigate health and support services safely.