‘It felt like home’: Cree baby born in a teepee brings joy to family, community | 24CA News
Hannah Bearskin’s dream of giving start in a teepee within the bush surrounded by household and pals was every little thing she’d hoped it could be.
“Even with all the pain I was going through, it felt so peaceful. It felt like home,” mentioned the 24-year-old mom of two, from the northern Quebec Cree neighborhood of Chisasibi.
Hannah gave start to her second baby, a boy named Koa Murray Siibii Aabuunipinaanuuch Bearskin. Siibii means ‘river’ in Cree and Aabuunipinaanuuch, means ‘fishing out on the ice within the winter.’
Koa was born at 4:34 a.m. on Sept. 22. in a big conventional teepee constructed about 10 kilometres exterior of Chisasibi close to the La Grande river. Koa was delivered with the assistance of 90-year-old elder and former midwife Jane Matthew, who is sort of a nice grandmother to Hannah.
Reviving outdated methods
Hannah needed to present start in a conventional means as a result of the outdated methods are being misplaced.
“There aren’t a lot of people who know. We’re losing our traditional skills … especially midwives,” mentioned Hannah, including elder Jane is the sister of Hannah’s late nice grandmother, Martha Pachano, who handed away simply days earlier than Koa was born.
Elder Jane was more than happy to be requested to ship a child in a conventional means and in a conventional teepee, mentioned Hannah.
Jane, and her mom earlier than her, delivered many, many infants as midwives earlier than birthing was faraway from the Cree communities and girls had been despatched to southern hospitals to have their infants.
Since 2004, the Cree Board of the Health and Social Services of James Bay (CBHSSJB) has been making efforts to return birthing to the territory. Between 2019 and 2021, greater than 57 Cree infants had been born on the territory with the assistance of midwives. The Cree well being board can also be creating an in-territory program to coach Cree midwives. Hannah’s midwife, from the Chisasibi midwifery companies, was additionally there for Koa’s start.
Elder Jane shared knowledge on the place to position the birthing mattress — on the fitting aspect, near the doorway of the teepee. That is the place the girl used to put when she was prepared to present start, mentioned Jane.
She additionally purchased gadgets used up to now, comparable to dried moss. Moss was additionally used to make her birthing mattress extra comfy. Rabbit pores and skin protected the flooring of spruce boughs. Tied to the teepee polls was a twisted size of moosehide, which Hannah was in a position to maintain onto throughout labour.
Elder Jane wore a tartan skirt, moccasins and a floral shirt that belonged to her late mom, Mina Bearskin Tapiatic, who additionally wore it as a midwife.
“When she came she looked very nice,” mentioned Hannah in Cree, including Jane shared that when her mom would attend a start, Mina would all the time wash herself and placed on clear garments.
Hannah and her associate, Wesley Bearskin, and greater than a dozen different relations and pals helped construct the massive teepee and helped put together meals. Children, elders and neighborhood members visited to point out their help and want the younger mother and father nicely.
‘Most wonderful expertise’
The parents-to-be and household and pals lived within the teepee for 2 weeks ready for the start, in keeping with Hannah’s mother, Rose Duff.
“Everyone was happy to be there … I couldn’t help but think how happy people must’ve been when they lived in teepees long ago. We had visitors everyday and we cooked traditional meals,” mentioned Duff by way of Facebook messenger.
“It was the most amazing experience to see one of my grandchildren come into this world like it used to be done long ago,” she added.
There had been every day issues to do, comparable to fetching water, gathering boughs, gathering firewood and cooking meals, in keeping with Hannah. Once labour began, Koa was born wholesome after three hours.
The story of Koa’s start is in sharp distinction to the start of his older brother, Hannah’s first baby. It was a time earlier than birthing choices had been out there within the Cree communities and Hannah was despatched out of the neighborhood to a hospital in Val d’Or.
“In Val d’Or, I couldn’t wait to get out of the hospital. I couldn’t wait to go home. You couldn’t feel the fresh air,” mentioned Hannah.
“But at the teepee, you could feel the fresh air coming in from the outside. You could hear the wind blowing. In the distance, I could hear thunder.”
Hannah’s grandmother, the late Elsie Duff, handed away in January and was one other a part of Hannah’s need to present start in a conventional means, as a result of Elsie liked being out on the land.
“I miss her so much, I wanted her to be there but, I knew she was there, this is what motivated me, I was constantly thinking about her, I had a lot of doubts thinking I won’t be able to do it,” she mentioned, including the love she felt within the teepee gave her the power she wanted.
After Koa’s start, Hannah and her husband and the newborn spent one other night time on the teepee.
Now, the younger mom misses the standard setting and encourages different younger Cree mothers-to-be to decide on a extra conventional strategy to give start.
“I would like to see more young women having their babies in this way,” she mentioned. “We have lost a lot of our traditions, this is one of the reasons why I wanted to do this.”
