Atmos Indigenous Partners

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David is an ally settler and was most recently Director of the Canada Water Agency Transition Office, responsible for establishing a national agency to manage freshwater in Canada. Prior to that he was lead negotiator for all fisheries treaty and reconciliation agreements with Indigenous Nations in marine waters in Canada. His expertise lies in relationship building, and the multiple connections between Indigenous community health, fisheries, water, language and culture.

Karen is an Associate Professor, Midwifery Education Program, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at McMaster University in the settlement of Hamilton, Ontario. As an Anishinaabeg midwife and Registered midwife, Karen is a global leader in comprehensive, gender-inclusive sexual and reproductive health care research for Indigenous Peoples. Karen currently holds funding for several key research projects to understand the impacts of COVID-19 on evacuation for birth, and mapping sexual and reproductive healthcare services for Indigenous Peoples.

Rachel graduated midwifery school from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2012. Rachel and her mother have succeeded in continuing the matrilineal lines of midwifery practice, opening the doors of K’Tigaaning Midwives, located on Nipissing First Nation (NFN) in November 2016. She was extremely involved with the planning and design of the clinic on NFN, and responsible for its day-to-day business administration. As a result of this, she is enthusiastic about sharing her experiences with other Indigenous midwives to help encourage the growth of midwifery in all Indigenous communities. She also developed and continues her passion for working with teens and marginalized youth. She has two beautiful children that she was fortunate enough to have at home.

Carol graduated midwifery school from Toronto Metropolitan University in 1998. Carol is the new Member at Large on the Association of Ontario Midwives Board, and her particular interest is to support and advance the board’s strategic goal around restoring birth to Indigenous communities. Enthusiastic about association-level work, she is a founding member of the National Council of Indigenous Midwives (NCIM). She has served as a board member for women’s shelters, the College of Midwives of Manitoba, the Canadian Association of Midwives, and is an elder member of the core leaders of NCIM. Carol has co-chaired the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada’s  (SOGC) Aboriginal Women’s Health Committee and helped write the SOGC recommendations on returning birth to rural and remote Aboriginal communities, as well as recommendations for rural and remote maternity care. Carol is passionate about being a good midwife and a strong traditional teacher. She comes from a Family tradition of Midwifery, as her great grandmother was a midwife on Nipissing First Nation, her niece Evelyn George is a midwife who works in a First Nation in BC, and Carol is extremely proud to practice with her daughter, Rachel Dennis Kodji.