Home > An Ojibwa Native Artist > Women's Talk
Native Artist - Nokomis
Women's Talk: Native Women, Birth and Babies
Babies, pregnancies and imminent birth will dominate the gossip among these ladies. In the Ojibwa culture of my childhood, childbirth was a common topic of conversation among women of all ages.
If she's close enough at hand when the younger woman goes into labour, the grey-haired elder will handle the delivery - her years of experience most welcome.
But any of the women could lend a hand because even as children they would have been trained to help - just in case they were the only ones available in an emergency.
I was only five when I first 'participated' in a birth. I chose the word participate. You didn't get to help until you got over the Aaaaagh!!! kind of reaction. That could happen when you were seven or seventeen - and the adults would be aware that it was time for hands-on training.
But in the meantime we sat quietly in the cabin or the tent or under the tree during the entire labour. Both the midwife and the labouring mother explained what was happening. Birthing became a natural part of life.
Read more about my life as Nokomis, learn about my first trip to the dentist (my favourite story) or read about native women.
