Kilala Lelum - Urban Indigenous Health and Healing Cooperative

Published purpose

This 23-month project will support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19, through systemic change. Urban Indigenous Health and Healing Cooperative will achieve this by researching and evaluating experiences of Indigenous birth workers and clients, developing and implementing strategies to increase employment for Indigenous birth workers, consulting with health care providers and policy makers to inform policy and systems change, developing tools and resources to integrate Indigenous birth workers into existing health and related sectors and developing supportive materials to share Indigenous birthing practices and knowledge. At the end of the project, the organization will have contributed to addressing systemic barriers by advancing inclusive polices and practices, encouraging more equitable and effective sharing of resources, increasing networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change and supporting positive distribution of authority, voices and decision-making power to support women’s equality. The project will advocate for Indigenous birth workers representation at leadership meetings to inform primary care and culturally safe maternity care in BC. Education and training will be provided to health care and policy makers to integrate full spectrum maternity care for Indigenous birthing people. New mechanisms will be created for Indigenous families to have access to midwifery and doula services as entry points to the health care system.