“To Watch, To Care” Stories of Aboriginal Midwifery in Canada

Introduction
An overview of the history and new developments of Aboriginal midwifery in Canada is incomplete unless the story unfolds concomitantly within greater intimate (internal) and universal (external) contexts. These contexts include the place that women hold within the regards of self and others within the community and broader Canadian society; issues of interpersonal safety and cultural freedom; the realm of rights and responsibilities at home and within Canadian politics; interpersonal/intercultural relations, including between Aboriginal culture and ways of knowing with Canadian technological developments; and the reach of health and health- related services and resources for women and their families across the life cycle. This paper summarizes the story of Aboriginal midwifery in Canada through the ages - not as a story of birth in and of itself, but as a story of a way of life.