Binche Bu Society in Collaboration with Binche Health Centre and the Health Arts Research Centre to receive $20,000 from the Vancouver Foundation to advance perinatal wellness

Binche Bu Society, in collaboration with the Health Arts Research Centre (HARC), is pleased to announce that they have successfully secured a Convene Grant from the Vancouver Foundation for a total of $20,000. Binche Bu Society will be working with Binche Health Centre to conduct a Participatory Action Research Study in Dakelhne territory with the help of the HARC Research Manager Marion Erickson.

This Convene Grant from the Vancouver Foundation is a short-term grant to help unpack a complex health issue and to question the systemic processes that have created that issue, or that are holding the issue in place. Binche Whut’enne recognizes, through guidance of Elders and inclusion of youth, that it is important to teach language, past and present ways of life, history to the next generation. Binche
Whut’enne also recognize that we need to prepare with tools for success in the modern world. Binche Whut’enne are aware of issues regarding systemic racism in perinatal healthcare as well as systemic challenges regarding the education of Dakelhne and people in our community. Binche Whut’enne have a vision of advancing perinatal wellness through collaboration on an entry-level skills training curriculum with guidance from our Elders and knowledge holders in both Dakelh and Western Science. Binche Bu Society’s collaboration with the HARC is demonstrative of our commitment towards advancing our efforts in collaboration with Western medicine. The HARC researchers and collaborators come from
diverse disciplinary backgrounds and experience and are interested in synergistic and creative ways to interrogate the determinants of health disparities in the north and to engage in strengths-based visioning and action to address the revival of health, healing, and well-being in northern communities.

Funds from this grant will be used to inform a community-based, Dakelh-led doula training curriculum for the purpose of enhancing perinatal health outcomes in Dakelhne Territory. This doula training curriculum has the potential to inspire Dakelh-ne to take further training to work in healthcare. Doula training offers an entry-level skills training opportunity that will introduce Dakelh-ne to opportunities in birthwork. A Dakelh knowledge centred curriculum and Dakelh-led delivery differs from Doula designations that are run in non-profit non-Dakelh-led groups because Dakelh ways of knowing are either nonexistent or are presented only as a small chapter in a Euro-western focused curriculum. This Dakelh-led research project is demonstrative of Binche recognizing and upholding our right to self-determination. The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ Section 21 recognizes Indigenous peoples right to improve our own health, employment, and vocational training
and retraining. By co-developing a Dakelh doula curriculum we can address unique Northern BC challenges in training, recruiting, and retaining health professionals in Dakelh territory with the guidance of Elders and advice from our collaborators in from the HARC.

For more information or for questions please contact Marion Erickson – marion.erickson@unbc.ca