Blog

A Two-Row Wampum Treaty approach to leadership

By Ellen Kanikatsitsa Blais and Juana Berinstein, Co-Chief Executive Officers at Association of Ontario Midwives

As the nonprofit sector endures ongoing changes in their environment, we’re being called on to work in new ways. Reimagining Leadership is a project exploring what the future possibilities are for leadership in the nonprofit sector by engaging with those who are approaching it in bold, and diverse ways.

Association of Ontario Midwives (AOM) represents midwives across the province. As Co-Chief Executive Officers, we are upholding this legacy while redefining the way the organization approaches leadership to better reach communities and in parallel, engage in Indigenous governance processes with the direction of Indigenous communities.

Through this lens, it was contingent on us to take a Two-Row Wampum approach. The Two-Row Wampum, also known as the Gaswéñdah Belt, is a living treaty that informs how Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples engage in relations, committing to move together in peace, friendship and respect. In this way, we’re focused on building a leadership model where non-Indigenous and Indigenous perspectives work together to confront the challenges that communities, health care, midwifery, families, and birthing people face. Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are responsible for upholding this treaty in relationship with each other.

The Guswendah Treaty as a leadership model

As Co -CEOs, we bring two perspectives to the AOM that represent the original people of these lands, with the oppression and reality of Ontario as a colonial state. Prior to applying for the Co-CEO position, we spent a weekend at Wasauksing First Nation at Ellen’s home to ground ourselves and see if this was right for ourselves and the organization.

There we saw lots of examples in the ecosystem, the environment, the waters, the sky and the land around us, working in collaboration. This is what ultimately led us to reinforcing our understanding that our collective experiences would serve the birthing communities with honour and dignity.

We have established our co leadership through the spirit of the Guswentha treaty. We have been establishing this commitment since 2014, and now have an Indigenous Midwifery team of 12, who are accountable to Indigenous Midwives in Ontario through the Indigenous Midwifery Advisory Circle who have mandated Indigenous senior representation with two board members.

Indigenous sovereignty in midwifery

Changing a system to prioritize Indigenous governance is not easy. The status quo is a colonial approach where everyone wants to be able to look at mostly pre-determined rules to direct every action we take. But we’re a living and breathing organization that must adapt with time. A promise like the Two-Row Wampum is foundational to our organization, and adaptable to our operations and governance. We are living representations of the Wampum; we embody it day-by-day through consistent conversation and open dialogue.

There are moments where it does take more time to come to final decisions. But really, what are we comparing this to? The results speak for itself and we’re seeing better decision making because of this.

Association of Ontario Midwives: Birthing rights is a human right

We encourage organizations to take an approach that centres the voices of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people and not only brings voices to the table, but provides governance that shares power and decision making equitably. The land in which we live, situate ourselves and operate on is First Nations — and right relations with First Nations is key to the longevity of community serving organizations. The Two-Row Wampum approach takes courage for non- Indigenous people to embrace in their everyday lived experiences, as it is a relationship agreement that ultimately shares power and invites many voices into shaping the path forward alongside First Nations people.

Ellen’s Oneida spirit name is “Kanikatsitsa”, which means “Little Flower”. Ellen shares that this name, given to her by Ray John, Elder now existing in the spirit world, from the Oneida Nation of the Thames is a deeply meaningful name that she attends to every day, learning how to apply it to her life experience, including thinking about how she can bloom new life into the nonprofit sector.

We use the word Indigenous here as well as First Nations, Inuit and Metis, as we recognize language is always in transformation, and that most recently, Indigenous has been thought to be too broad, allowing those who are not First Nations, Inuit or Metis to use the term to their own benefit.