Sturgeon Lake First Nation marks birth of baby boy, celebrated as first traditional birth in decades

For the first time in decades, some in Sturgeon Lake First Nation, Sask., feel they've truly welcomed a baby into this world on their own terms. 

The First Nation, located about 40 kilometres west of Prince Albert in central Saskatchewan, is one of three participating in a pilot project to bring cultural birthing back to First Nation communities in Canada.

On Wednesday a baby boy was born, welcomed in ceremony and with the First Nations traditional birth practices top of mind.

"A lot of those things were never lost," Christine Longjohn, the First Nation's band councillor responsible for health, said. 

"We just weren't practicing them the way we should have, because of all of what First Nations people have gone through."

Help was drawn from elders, knowledge keepers, birth experts, midwives and health professionals both within and outside of Sturgeon Lake to create the community's soon-to-be cultural birthing centre and and revitalize the practices in the community. 

Bighead said Wednesday's birth was a great day for Sturgeon Lake.

"We are rebuilding our nation, is actually what we are doing, because when we have healthy babies, healthy children, then we will have a healthy community," she said.

Though a proper birthing facility won't be built until the fall of 2022 at the earliest, the concept design for a new facility is expected to be unveiled in mid-March. 

Norma Rabbitskin, a senior nurse in Sturgeon Lake — whose daughter gave birth on Wednesday — said knowledge shared by elders and knowledge keepers with the First Nation is being shared with the professionals supporting pregnant mothers in Sturgeon Lake.

Those professionals put that knowledge to use on Wednesday and will continue to do so going forward. 

Soon, they will have a facility of their own to work in, too. In mid-March the First Nation will unveil the concept designs for the birthing facility it would like to see operating by this fall, if things go smoothly, Longjohn said. 

Rabbitskin, who said she and her mother were born on the lands, said it was an honour to see her daughter choose a traditional path when it comes to birth — a way, she said, her daughter was practicing one of her most sacred rights.

"It really feels so sacred and I'm really just flying high," she told CBC News on Thursday.