Grant: Project Grant

Inuit women from the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut (Kivallarimiut) face significant barriers in accessing perinatal healthcare, often traveling over 1,000 km to Winnipeg. Many arrive without prenatal care, and in a state of distress, impacted by violence, homelessness, and poverty among other things. Interviews from a 2024 CIHR Catalyst Grant reveal heightened psychosocial and cultural stress due to systemic issues including fear of child apprehension, lack of informed consent, and healthcare coercion. This study builds on this research and collaborates with Inuit and Nunavummiut organizations and the Inuit Perinatal Health Hub to co-create resources aimed at reducing psychosocial and cultural stress, improving SRHR education, and contributing to policy change. A key objective of this study is to explore how Kivallirmiut navigate interactions with health and social services, particularly when faced with surveillance or adversarial treatment, and how these experiences influence decisions to seek care for themselves/their children. As a community-driven participatory project under the work of Keeping the Children Home (KtCH) project, this study combines Inuit research methods with qualitative and quantitative techniques. Key components include a participatory art project, focus groups, select interviews and a survey. Emphasis is on centering Inuit Elders, and involving fathers/men/partners. Expected outcomes include art-based outputs, academic articles and presentations, but also video contributions to the in-person perinatal support group and VR headsets being developed by the Inuit Perinatal Health Hub (IPHH). The project will host in-person public engagement sessions, intersectional and inter-jurisdictional meetings, produce a final report with policy recommendations, and host a mini-conference. This work will influence healthcare policy, address systemic issues like access and racism, and promote equity for Inuit women and future generations.