Abstract:
The purpose of this paper is to raise awareness and stimulate discussion and research into
maternity care options for Aboriginal women living in remote areas of Australia and Canada. These two
countries have similar situations in that some communities are so remote that emergency medical care
requires the use of aircraft. In addition, both countries have, since the 1970s, adopted policies for the
transfer of mothers in late pregnancy to hospitals in urban centres. For many Aboriginal families this
policy has been far from ideal. As a result, some Aboriginal women fail to seek early health care when
pregnant. In order to counteract this, it is necessary to offer culturally sensitive maternity care that
Aboriginal women will accept. The results of an evaluation of a birthing centre in the Canadian Arctic
will be presented along with a range of birthing choices for remote area Aboriginal women and their
families. Some of these options have already been initiated by some midwives. This paper challenges
health service providers to identify the method of maternity health services required by Aboriginal
families and provide creative solutions to meet those needs in a safe and cost effective way.
