Birth travel Extraction

Birth Evacuation Policy in Canada

• Birth evacuation policies are a governmental response in Canada to address maternal health needs.

• Key aspects of Canadian policies:

  • Governs evacuation practices for pregnant women, particularly in rural areas.

  • Affects access to healthcare services, significantly affecting Indigenous women.

Rurality and Access to Healthcare

• Rurality impacts healthcare access, especially through evacuation policies.

• Differential Impacts on Indigenous Women:

  • Indigenous women face unique challenges during evacuation due to cultural dislocation and lack of community support.

State Characterization of Extraction Policies

• The state often frames extraction policies as necessary for public health, labeling them as 'medical goods.'

• This phrasing can obscure the underlying implications and the historical context of settler colonialism.

Settler Colonialism and Deterritorialization

• Comparison of contemporary birth evacuation to historical deterritorialization.

• The settler colonialist history may contribute to the ongoing marginalization of Indigenous practices.

Transformation of Indigenous Birth Culture

• The Canadian state has altered Indigenous childbirth practices through:

  • Institutionalization of Western biomedical care, often at the expense of Indigenous knowledge systems.

  • Negative impacts observed, such as loss of cultural practices and community support during childbirth.

• Evidence of Birth Outcomes:

  • Question remains if birth outcomes have significantly improved due to these policies.

Travel and State Definitions of Successful Birth

• The definition of a successful birth increasingly includes compliance with travel and evacuation protocols.

Waiting for Labor

• Inequitable Mobilities and Immobilities:

  • Enforced mobility presents Indigenous women as refugees on their own lands.

  • Issues of time and waiting are critical, creating further inequalities.

• Recognize the dimensions of travel and confinement and related locations that shape these experiences.

Mandatory Birth Evacuation as a Policy

• While seemingly neutral, mandatory birth evacuation disrupts community ties and support systems.

• Underlines a legacy of colonial incarceration impacting First Nation populations.

Strategies of Resistance by Birth Workers

• Birth workers challenge mandatory evacuation through various strategies aimed at reclaiming Indigenous birthing knowledge.

• Sovereignty Claims:

  • Efforts include advocating for culturally relevant practices and navigating state systems.