Come learn why we need to move beyond cultural competency and embrace Cultural Safety; a framework that takes into account the specific history of our nation and how this has created our current health inequities. This framework is active, not passive, and asks all health and service providers to reflect on who we are and what we bring to our work; which is relational by definition. It also puts the patient experience at the center, which includes the emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of care and reminds us that only the patient can define whether the care they received was “safe” for them.
Participants will:
1) Learn how Indigenous care can be improved through learning and applying key tenets of cultural safety
2) Understand how collective and intergenerational trauma in Indigenous communities impacts health and interactions with western medical systems
3) Learn what differentiates a culturally safe approach and what this looks like in practice
Dr. Erin Tenney, DNP, CNM, WHNP, APNP is a certified nurse-midwife and women’s health nurse practitioner. She completed her DNP in 2015 and is an alumnus of Frontier Nursing University, where she was the interim Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer and currently serves as a full-time faculty member. In addition to her academic degrees, she is also a DONA International birth doula and birth doula trainer. Her clinical background is in women’s and maternal & child health at the Red Cliff and Forest County Potawatomi Tribal Health Clinics in northern Wisconsin.
Native Life Ways Singer/Educator/Practitioner/Midwife Dorene has dedicated over 30 years of her life, practicing our Anishinabe lifeways, by attending and learning ceremonial protocols in Anishinabe country. She carries the responsibility of song keeper for her Midewiwin lodge. Dorene Day is an Artist and Educator. Through learning and teaching, she has worked a colorful wheel of trades; A Mother, Grandmother, Midwife, Bead and Textile Artist, Activist, Teacher, Writer, Singer/Performer, Counselor, and Trainer. Dorene has spent much time working in a spiritual capacity for her Anishinabe peoples. Waubanewquay is a 4th Degree Midewiwin, and lead woman singer for Center Fire in the Three Fires Midewiwin (Heartway), Lodge. She is a Midewanniquay ~Water Line Woman, those that vow to take care of the water. She sings “The Water Song”, to the water each day. Much of her work is related to spiritual practices and assisting in the connection and re-connection to spirit, and our spirit journey in life. Waubanewquay was trained in Midwifery in 1978-80 by Katsi Cook, Mohawk Midwife, through the Women’s Dance Health Project in Minnesota. Waubanewquay continues to teach Traditional birthing practices today.
Erin and Dorene have studied and worked together since 2007 in a number of Indigenous communities across the U.S. and Canada. They have provided a variety of trainings and developed a cultural safety course for health care students and professionals.