As an Elder, I sit on the NWT Birthwork Collective as a Traditional Knowledge Keeper. Everything that this collective stands for has been my lifelong interest and ambition.

My late mother, Madeline Simba, was a midwife for over 40 years. She believed that babies coming into the world must be greeted properly and by healthy parents. Every child is born with a special gift and must be nurtured by grandmothers until they reach maturity.

Even before a child is conceived, the Elders would sense their coming—aware of their arrival and the unique gifts they would bring to make our nation stronger. At birth, a child is given four sacred gifts for life:

• A traditional name

• An animal

• A song

• An element

These gifts are called upon throughout life, especially during times of hardship, for guidance and strength.

Great care was always taken with pregnant women—especially when it came to diet and surrounding them with a positive, loving environment. This is why, as an Elder, I remain deeply committed to the birth of babies. Babies coming into this world must be healthy and protected. Without healthy babies, we have no future.

As a Traditional Elder, I want to help create and support strong, culturally-rooted programs that ensure the well-being of our future generations.