Biography Biography
Claire Dion Fletcher, is an Indigenous (Potawatomi-Lenape) Registered Midwife practicing in Toronto. She graduated from the Midwifery Education Program (MEP) at Ryerson University.
Claire grew up in Newmarket, Ontario, where she was an active member of Hands of Hope for Children, Guatemala. At Dalhousie University in Halifax, Claire’s interest and commitment to maternal health, particularly midwifery care, grew during her undergraduate studies in Microbiology and International Development. Claire is known for her strong commitment to community and to reproductive justice. She is dedicated to the growth of Indigenous midwifery in Ontario and the expansion of Indigenous content in the program at Ryerson University. Claire's focused midwifery commitment is obvious. She is currently the Aboriginal Student Co-coordinator for the Midwifery Education Programme at Ryerson University where she has quietly guided, mentored, supported and led by example. She is also co-Chair of the Toronto Birth Centre Community Council and sits on the Core Leadership of the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives. A person widely recognized for her humility, integrity, work ethic and strength of character, Claire has all the hallmarks of a leader and absolutely shines as an example of the best in Ontario Midwifery. |
Christine Roy is an Indigenous French-Abenaki Registered Midwife who grew up in Eastern Quebec. She graduated from the Michener pre-registration program in 1992.
Christine, her husband (Attawapiskat Cree First Nation) and their family moved to Puvirnituq to work beside Inuit midwifery students. They returned to Quebec after the sudden loss of their son, where Christine resumed practice and became Midwifery Services Coordinator. Christine’s dedication to Aboriginal Midwifery took her to Brazil to meet with Amazon Forest midwives, and to Bolivia, Akwesasne and James Bay working on the film ‘Ancestral Women’, exploring ancestral midwifery knowledge of Aymara, Quechua, Mohawk and Cree midwives. Christine was central to a consultation with all First Nations and Inuit communities of Quebec. This led to the inclusion of an exemption for Aboriginal women within the Quebec Midwifery Act, ensuring First Nations self-determination. Christine and her family moved back to Attawapiskat and in 2012 she opened Neepeeshowan Midwives. This practice serves families in the remote fly-in community and is vital to bringing birth back into the community. The responsibilities and remarkable honour of being a pipe carrier have been passed on to her to deepen the work for healing and empowerment of Aboriginal girls and women. |