REGINA - The Regina Native Outreach Ministry (RNOM) is currently seeking funding for its Mother & Baby Welcome Bag project, which aims to help new Indigenous mothers provide their babies with essential items.
The project first started after RNOM board member Cecilia Pelletier faced an incident in the hospital.
In fall 2021, Pelletier gave birth to her son. At that time, Pelletier was homeless and didn’t have much to provide for her newborn.
Healthcare workers at the hospital decided it would be best for the baby to go into government care. This all took place months after Sask. ended birth alerts, which were criticized for targeting Indigenous mothers.
Hearing her son was about to be taken, Pelletier felt scared. She added, "It was really confusing and scary because, at the same time, it kind of made me feel like maybe I don't deserve my baby."
Pelletier decided to contact her mom, who rushed to the hospital. Her mom told healthcare workers they couldn’t take her grandson.
Pelletier was able to keep her son, but her mom was very upset about the whole incident. Afterwards, Pelletier told her mom she was likely not the only one going through this treatment.
Cindy Dorr, chairperson of RNOM, backed what Pelletier said. Dorr said studies showed birth alerts are predominantly put in place against Indigenous women.
Since this incident happened months after they were made illegal, Dorr said, "So they're not calling them birth alerts, but the millennium scoop that these birth alerts are causing is still happening. And the government [has] put no support systems in place to deal with them in other ways. So [that] the babies aren't [being] taken away from their parents."
Understanding these issues are still relevant, Pelletier and her mom approached the RNOM Board regarding new Indigenous mothers having the support needed to take care of their newborns. Her mom suggested the baby bags as an idea, so she and RNOM worked together regarding what they would contain.
Mother & Baby Welcome Bag project
In 2022, the project officially started. RNOM decided to include approximately $150 worth of items in the bag to help out Indigenous mothers and their newborn babies.
RNOM put out a call to the united churches in Regina for donations, which gave them tons of items.
On top of the donations, RNOM’s knitting circle, which meets a few times a month, helped create baby blankets for the bags.
So, RNOM aimed to give 30 bags away after every assembly, 10 for newborn boys, 10 for newborn girls, and 10 for either gender.
After every assembly, the group took the bags to the First Nations and Métis Health Services located at the Regina General Hospital.
RNOM approached the service, asking if they would distribute the bags on behalf of the charity, which they agreed to.
While donations were meeting their targets at first, they started to drop off after the first few assemblies. Needing financial backing, In 2023, the charity wrote a grant to the United Church of Canada. Through their healing fund, the church gave RNOM $9,000.
They had to stretch out the $9,000 they received from the grant by looking for items when they were on sale.
However, RNOM has now exhausted all their grants and other sources of funding for the project. While Dorr understands people cannot donate much anymore because of financial troubles, she emphasized this project is still important.
Dorr said, "the best way that we can be supported is e-transfer to our email, which is [email protected]. And then our board will issue a tax receipt for anything over $20."
Another option is for someone to go on the CanadaHelps website, where they can search for the Regina Native Outreach Ministry and make a donation through their. Dorr noted that they would receive less money from those donations due to the website taking 4 per cent off it from their one-time donation fees.
With the money, the RNOM can continue their work. Recently, RNOM has started giving bags to the Prenatal Outreach Resource Team (PORT), which is part of the Sanctum Care Group, a non-profit registered charity based in Saskatoon.
Since this aligns with where RNOM’s target is, they started giving PORT bags during their last assembly.
Dorr mentioned, "I've had feedback from the woman [with PORT] who gives the moms the bags. They're just very, very grateful for them. And surprised to be getting a gift."
RNOM plans to divide the bags between PORT, and the First Nations, and Métis Health Services.
RNOM is also looking for more board members who are Indigenous who can help continue their push for the government to step up and help protect Indigenous moms and their newborn children.
