Kerry BeBee, RMKerry Bebee is an Aboriginal Registered Midwife; Michi-Sagiig Anishinaabekwe from Nogojiwanong /Paamashkodeyaang and Hiawatha First Nation.
She began Midwifery in Toronto 2000 with Indigenous families, moved to Manitoba 2002 to serve families in The Pas, Opaskwayak and Moose Lake First Nations before returning to practice in 2005 in her home territory, Kawartha Lakes. She has done ceremony and mentoring with Anishinaabe, Cree, and Mohawk Elders and knowledge holders and completed the Aki Madoodoo Lodge 4 year plant medicine programme. She is pursuing Master’s Degree research on Anishinaabe experiences of reproductive care (currently on leave). Kerry co-chaired the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives 2009-2014 and remains in their Core Leadership Circle. She contributed to their publication ‘The Aboriginal Midwifery Student Handbook’ and was primary researcher/author of ‘Taking Care of Our Children: An Indigenous Traditional Parenting Facilitation Guide’. She is involved in Nishaabemowin Saswansing, a language play group and Manoo group, an Anishinaabe/Metis cultural group. She participates in Indigenous Women’s Symposiums and Full Moon groups. Kerry is member of ‘Beautiful Canoe Collective’, a theatre that celebrates Indigenous women’s birth experiences and reproductive justice. Kerry brings a genuine humility and truly inspirational cultural dedication to her work, enriching her community and all Ontario Midwifery. |
Melida Jimenez, RMMelida Jimenez was born and raised in Guatemala during a time of national conflict. Her inspirational social justice activism within the student movement-and later as a medical doctor-helped create ‘popular clinics’ in shantytowns. Given the political climate in 1985, Melida’s family came to Canada as refugees.
Pregnant with her third child, Melida discovered an Ontario health system ill-equipped to provide either appropriate language interpretation or culturally-safe care. This led her to volunteer with Spanish-speaking women, going with them to hospital, leading prenatal classes and offering breastfeeding information. Having mastered English, Melida began work in health promotion whilst continuing to volunteer with many community organizations and boards, including Access Alliance CHC, Ontario Immigrant and Visible Minority Women’s organizations, Latino American Coalition Against Violence Against Women and Barbara Schliffer clinic amongst others. Not content with these remarkable achievements, Melida graduated Ryerson Midwifery 1997 and now devotes her significant talents to offering culturally safe Midwifery care in Spanish in Toronto whilst volunteering with Mexico CASA Midwifery School and Guatemalan Midwifery projects. Melida brings rich gifts to Midwifery, not just from her own experiences of conflict and injustice, but because she lives the tenets of this award: honour, equity, humility, justice and inclusion. |