Our Team

Knowledge Keepers

Evelyn Good Striker, B. Ed., M.Ed

Evelyn Good Striker is a Lakota Dakota from Standing Buffalo First Nation, SK. and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Evelyn is Dr. Leason’s CIHR, Elder CRC Co-Chair. Through her role, Elder Evelyn will enrich the research by serving as an advisor. Her expertise is Indigenous epistemologies (sharing traditional knowledge and Indigenous wisdom) and methodologies (storytelling and ceremony).

Carol Couchie

Ms Couchie is a Member of Nibising First Nation. A mother of two daughters and grandmother to many. Graduating from X University in 1998 she worked as a midwife for over twenty years in Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec. She has advocated for equality of health care delivery for Indigenous families and communities throughout her time as aprimary healthcare provider. She now has taken on a leadership role in midwifery educationat a national and provincial level through her work at the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives and the Association of Ontario Midwives.

Principal Investigators

Dr. Jennifer Leason

Dr. Jen Leason (off-reserve member of the Pine Creek Indian Band, MN.) is a Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR), Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Maternal Child Wellness, and an Associate Professor at the University of Calgary. Dr. Leason is also an artist, poet, and advocate who utilizes her work and talents to highlight Indigenous perinatal health disparities and inequities across Canada.

Claire Dion Fletcher

Claire Dion Fletcher(she/her)is an Indigenous (Lenape-Potawatomi) and mixed settler. Registered Midwife practicing at Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto.She is presently co-chair of the National Aboriginal Council of Midwives and Assistant Professor the Ryerson Midwifery Education Programin Toronto. Her teaching focuses on Indigenous midwifery and social justice issues. Claire is deeply committed to increasing diversity in the midwifery profession through Indigenous-led education.She completed her Master of Arts in Gender, Feminist and Women’s Studies at York University where her research focused on decolonized health care and Indigenous midwifery.Claire is committed to reproductive justice and Indigenous feminisms and how these frameworks shape midwifery education and practice. She is an adoring Auntie to her niece and nephews

Dr. Ava John-Baptiste

Dr.John-Baptiste is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Anesthesia & Perioperative Medicine, and the Schulich Interfaculty Program in Public Health. Dr. John-Baptiste conducts research on public health, community-based interventions, and peri-operative services. Her current research interests include economic evaluation of public health and community-based interventions. Dr.John-Baptiste brings to the project expertise in cost-analysis, evidence synthesis, decision modeling, economic evaluation and the linkage and analysis of administrative and clinical databases. She will be leading the economic methodology and analysis.

Dr. Elizabeth Darling

Dr. Liz Darling is the Assistant Dean of Midwifery at McMaster University. Her qualifications include an Honours BArtsSc (McMaster), aBHSc Midwifery (McMaster), an MSc in Health Research Methodology (McMaster), and a PhDin Population Health (Ottawa). Dr. Darling worked as a registered midwife in North York and Ottawa before joining McMaster. She currently holds a CIHR Early Career Investigator Award in Maternal, Reproductive, Child and Youth Health that supports research on expanded midwifery care models in Ontario.

Dr. Karen Lawford

Dr. Karen Lawford is an Anishinaabe midwife (enrolled member of the Lac Seul First Nation) and a registered midwife (Ontario). She is a founding member of the National Council of Indigenous Midwives and of the Global Council of Indigenous Midwives. Her health systems research champions comprehensive, gender-inclusive sexual and reproductive health and care, which is underpinned by Indigenous theories, methodologies, and methods. Dr. Lawford is committed to advancing the Calls to Action (TRC), Calls to Justice (MMIWG), and the Recommendations in RCAP by influencing policy, program, and systems change at all levels of government. Dr. Lawford is an Associate Professor in the Midwifery Education Program in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University.

Dr. Janet Smylie

Dr. Smylie is the Director of the Well Living House Action Research Centre for Indigenous Infant, Child, and Family Health and Wellbeing, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Advancing Generative Health Services for Indigenous Populations in Canada, and Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Dr. Smylie’s research focuses on addressing Indigenous health inequities in partnership with Indigenous communities. She is particularly focused on ensuring all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples are counted into health policy and planning wherever they live in ways that make sense to them; addressing anti-Indigenous racism in health services; and advancing community-rooted innovations in health services for Indigenous populations. She maintains a part-time clinical practice at Seventh Generation Midwives Toronto and has practiced and taught family medicine in a variety of Indigenous communities both urban and rural. A Métis woman, Dr. Smylie acknowledges her family, traditional teachers, and ceremonial lodge.

Research Support Team

Aisha Twalibu

Aisha Twalibuis a global health researcher and social development practitioner. Before joiningUniversity of Western Ontario, she was an independent research consultant with Institute forInternational Programs at Johns Hopkins University, Global Alliance fo r ImprovedNutrition (GAIN) andInternational Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). Previously she worked for Save the Children whereshe coordinated the Nutrition Embedded Evaluation Project (NEEP) and its impact evaluation in Malawi.She is also a Global HealthCorps alumnus. She holds an MSc in Global Health Implementation and aBachelor of Science in Statistics and Demography from the University of Malawi.

Arielle Perrotta

Thesis: Nurturing Indigenous Maternal-Child Wellness: Urban Indigenous Midwifery, Birth Workers, and Families’ Experiences of Juniper Midwives and Heart Lodge in Calgary, Alberta

Program: PhD in Anthropology

Arielle (she/her) is a PhD student at the University of Calgary, supervised by Dr. Jennifer Leason. Her doctoral research focuses on Indigenous maternal health experiences of birthing persons, community support members, midwives, and birth workers in Alberta. Her main research interests are in Indigenous maternal health, midwifery, feminist theories, and qualitative and decolonizing methodologies.

Jennifer Murray

Thesis: Examining preterm birth to strengthen perinatal journeys in Quw’utsun (Cowichan) territory

Program: PhD Population and Public Health (Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia)

Jen is a settler of mixed European ancestry from Stó:lō traditional territory (otherwise known as Abbotsford, British Columbia) and currently resides on unceded Coast Salish Territories. Jen is a PhD Candidate at the School of Population and Public Health at the University of British Columbia. Using community-based research methods, Jen is working in Quw’utsun territory to understand how to prevent an elevated rate of preterm birth in the community. Jen enjoys being in the mountains and family time, especially time with her two nieces.

Majd Radhaa

Thesis: Assessing the economic costs of obstetric evacuation in rural and remote First Nation and Inuit communities in Canada

Program: MSc Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Majd is a first-year Master’s candidate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University, under the supervision of Dr. Ava John-Baptiste. He holds a Bachelor’s in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Western University. He is currently a research assistant at the Lawson Health Research Institute. His research interests include health economics, health services research, and clinical trials.

Sepideh Javadi

Sepideh Javadi serves as a GIS supporter and research assistant in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology at the University of Calgary. She entered the University of Calgary as an MGIS student of the Department of Geography in 2019. Sepideh has a bachelor’s degree in urban planning engineering, and a master’s in urban design

Negin Rouhi

Negin is a highly accomplished professional who holds a Master’s degree in Geographic Information Systems (MGIS) from the University of Calgary. Her academic journey includes a focused exploration of urban design with a specialization in women’s safety in public spaces, earning her another master’s degree from the University of Tehran. For her MGIS final project at the University of Calgary, Negin demonstrated her expertise by delving into the intricacies of “Modeling Street and Commercial Robbery Crime Rate in Calgary Communities: Considering Environmental and Demographic Risk Factors.” This showcased her proficiency in GIS analysis, statistics, remote sensing, and cartography. Currently, Negin plays a crucial role as a GIS analyst in Dr. Leason’s research team in the Department of Anthropology and Archaeology. Her contributions include exploring economic costs and spatial access to obstetric services for individuals of reproductive age residing in First Nations communities. At the same time, she has been making significant contributions as a GIS analyst at Drivewyze since December 2023. Negin’s dedication to her field extends beyond her professional roles. During the summer of 2023, she served as a GIS intern for the City of Calgary, applying her skills in practical settings. Her outstanding commitment and proficiency were acknowledged with the receipt of the Transformative Talent Internships award in the same semester. Beyond her professional pursuits, Negin values quality time with friends and enjoys engaging in social games during her free time. Her commitment to academic excellence, coupled with her passion for utilizing GIS to address spatial challenges, establishes her as a valuable contributor to the dynamic fields of geography and geospatial analysis.

Aparna Vijayan

Hi, I’m Aparna! I provide administrative support for the Indigenous Maternal and Child Wellness Research projects, helping to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. From managing schedules and coordinating meetings to handling financial processes and organizing important documents, I do my best to support the team and ensure everything is in place.

I’m a physics graduate with a strong background in administrative and financial coordination from my work at the University of Calgary. As an immigrant, I value diverse and inclusive environments and love working in spaces where collaboration and community come first. I love supporting the teams so they can focus on their important work.

When I’m not organizing and problem-solving, you’ll probably find me creating art—I love working on craft-based projects, especially dot mandala!

Community & Government Connections

Ellen Blais

Ellen Kanika Tsi Tsa Blais is from the Oneida Nation of the Thames. As an Indigenous adoptee, Ellen believes in the reclamation, resurgence and revitalization of Indigenous midwifery including birth practices and ceremony as integral to the health of Indigenous communities and nations. Ellen graduated from the midwifery program at Ryerson University in 2006. She is the Past Executive Director, National Council of Indigenous Midwives and Co-CEO, Association of Ontario Midwives. The Indigenous midwifery team at the AOM focuses on the call from Indigenous communities to “Bring Birth Home!” Under her leadership, Ontario now has over 9 Indigenous midwifery programs core funded by the Ministry of Health to serve Indigenous communities, in remote, rural and urban locations.

Diane Simon

Diane Simon is a Mi’kmaw midwife and a registered member of the Mi’kmaq Nation (Fort Folly First Nation). She holds a BHSc in Midwifery as well as a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health (University of Toronto) with a collaborative specialization in Health Policy. She is a community-based researcher, an established community activist and an avid runner. She is current a PhD student McMaster University.

Leila Monib

Leila Monib is the Director of the Indigenous Midwifery Department at the Association of Ontario Midwives. Leila works with an incredible team who support Indigenous midwives returning birth to First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities.

As a settler-Canadian of North African, West Asian and European ancestry, Leila is passionate about exploring the roles/responsibilities of non-Indigenous Canadians in honouring treaties, constitutional rights and international law.

Previous to the AOM, Leila managed youth programs at the Rexdale Community Health Centre, led education and systems change at the Ontario Indigenous Cultural Safety Program and was a Project Manager at Toronto Public Health where she worked with the Toronto Indigenous Health Advisory Circle to develop and implement the Toronto Indigenous Health Strategy. She completed her Master’s degree in International Development Studies in South Africa after working with a human rights organization in the areas of conflict resolution with the South African Police Services and advocacy for nurses to be trained in forensics.

Laya Bourguignon

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Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada

Pauktuutit is the national representative organization of Inuit women in Canada and is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors from across Canada. We foster greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, advocate for equality and social improvements, and encourage Inuit women’s full participation in the community, regional and national life of Canada. Its mandate is to foster a greater awareness of the needs of Inuit women, and to encourage their participation in community, regional and national concerns in relation to social, cultural and economic development.

Brenda Epoo

Brenda is a midwife in Inukjuak, an education coordinator for Inuulitsivik Midwifery Services, co-Chair for NACM, BOD of Puauktutit Women Group. She did her midwifery training in her community and in her own language and culture.

Shayla Claringbold

My name is Shayla Claringbold (formerly Scott). I am mixed urban Indigenous with ancestral ties to Cree-Métis and Inuit communities and cultures, and a member of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Based in Calgary, Alberta, I am currently working toward my Master’s degree in Community Health Sciences, specializing in Population and Public Health at the University of Calgary. My graduate research is focused on exploring how stigma manifests as a social determinant of sexual and reproductive health in Inuit communities. Since obtaining my bachelors in science, I have been engaged in Indigenous research and policy advocacy, focusing on issues including sexual and reproductive justice, child welfare, healthcare access in northern and remote regions, Indigenous identifiers in healthcare administration, and gender equity. I am passionate about community-driven solutions and committed to addressing systemic barriers to sustainably improve health outcomes for Indigenous peoples.

Reyna Uriarte Beauregard

Reyna Uriarte Beauregard is a dedicated advocate for Inuit, First Nations, and Metis health, land and economic sovereignty, with almost a decade of experience in community-led programming, structural violence advocacy and policy work. Currently, she works as the Community Partnership and Programs Specialist at the Ottawa Cancer Foundation, and as a co-researcher on two projects at the University of Ottawa and Pewaseskwan (Indigenous Wellness Research Group) at the University of Saskatchewan.

With a background in History and Classics and a Master’s in Conflict Studies, Reyna’s academic foci was eco-feminism and gender studies, structural and systemic inequities, and the lasting impacts of colonization – her work and indeed personal ethos is guided by a deep commitment to justice, healing, relational accountability, and, above all else – compassion.

Outside of her work, Reyna is a mother, a gardener, and a plant enthusiast—roles that reflect her deep care for growth, nurturing, and connection to the land. She tries to bring heart, curiosity, and kindness to everything she does.

Jessica Swain

Jessica Swain is a registered Métis midwife. Her maternal grandparents are both Red River Métis, and her paternal ancestors are of European (Irish, French, English) descent. Jessica graduated with a Bachelor of Midwifery from Mount Royal University in 2016 with a desire to increase access to midwifery care among Indigenous families of Mohkintsis (Calgary, AB).

Jessica is the practice owner of Juniper Midwives, and founder of Heart Lodge. Together, Juniper Midwives and Heart Lodge aim to improve Indigenous perinatal health disparities through the provision of exceptional and accessible community-based care and the decolonization of health knowledge through Indigenous birthworker mentorship and education.

Jessica is currently completing a Master of Arts in Health Leadership at Royal Roads University, and working with Dr. Jennifer Leason as a Project Lead the One Child Every Child Indigenous Maternal Child Health Study.

Jessica is a proud mother to her young daughter, Olive, and together they enjoy spending time in nature and travelling and exploring in their camper van. Jessica’s love of arts and crafts is woven through her practice as a mother and midwife.

Kristie Billard

Kristie’s passion for midwifery and supporting women through prenatal, birth and postpartum came from having her own three babies with midwives. She has a background of 20 years in Alberta health care and laboratory medicine. She is currently completing her first year in midwifery at Mount Royal University and hopes to serve Indigenous women of Treaty 7. Kristie’s Grandmother Olive Onespot is from Tsuut’ina and her heart lies in serving Indigenous communities. Weaving culture and care into the next generation is how we continue to heal our communities. Wrap around care that supports women along this sacred journey instills self confidence in their parenting and decision making. Support and access to knowledge and resources strengthens new parents and families and helps them to thrive in their new roles. Kristie believes reconciliation starts by serving our people with culturally sensitive, trauma informed care within safe spaces. She is excited to be able to offer services to women and families and hold space to share our ancestral knowledge and stories and create community.

Charity Wenger

Charity Wenger is a proud member of the Bigstone Cree Nation, situated in Treaty 8 territory on the Wabasca-Desmarais Reservation. As a mother of eight and a kokum to two granddaughters, my family is at the heart of everything I do. My passion for birth work ignited through my own experiences, particularly the challenges I faced during evacuation births with my two eldest children. This journey inspired me to pursue midwifery and advocate for bringing birth back to Indigenous communities. I am dedicated to providing midwifery care. Through my work, I aim to empower families and help to restore traditional birthing practices, as well as ensuring that families have access to compassionate and culturally relevant care.

Dr. Tom Wong, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC

Dr. Tom Wong, MD, MPH, CCFP, FRCPC is the Chief Medical Officer of Public Health‎, Chief Science Officer and the Director General for the Office of Population and Public Health at Indigenous Services Canada. He was trained in family medicine, internal medicine, infectious diseases and public health at McGill, Harvard and Columbia. He has academic appointments at both the University of Ottawa and the University of Toronto.

Krista Gorham

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Lesly-Anne Rebong

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Laura Mitchell

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Melanie Murdock

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Robin Boychuk

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