Presenter: Valerie Ah Chee (Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth Brisbane), Kate Cohen, MD (Ft. Defiance Indian Hospital), & Ernest Harry Begay (Utah Navajo Health System)
Date: 10/12/24
Brief Description: Discusses the ways in which First Nations communities around the world address stillbirth
Keywords/Main Subjects: Equity, traditional practice, First Nations, Indigenous communities
Slides: View / download (Ah Chee), View / download (Begay)
Copyright: copyright Valerie Ah Chee, Kate Cohen, & Ernest Harry Begay ©2024
Valerie Ah Chee
Ms Ah Chee is an Indigenous Research Midwife at the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Brisbane, Australia. She graduated as a Registered Midwife in 2015 and has worked clinically in Perth at the Armadale Health Service, in Midland at St John of God Public Hospital and in Adelaide at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Her dive into research started as an Indigenous Project Officer at Ngangk Yira Institute for Change on Baby Coming You Ready? Project: a comprehensive and culturally safe way to assess the social and emotional health and wellbeing of Aboriginal women in the perinatal period, with a focus on strength and resilience. As an Aboriginal woman, mother to 6 boys and grandmother to 6 grandchildren and midwife, Valerie’s own experiences birthing in the system generated her interest to improve outcomes in Aboriginal maternal and infant health, more specifically, embedding cultural safety in the pregnancy and birth space and improving the health of Aboriginal women from a strength-based, cultural perspective. Valerie is now working on the cultural adaptation of the Safer Baby Bundle and developing a Healthy Yarning Guide for non-Indigenous health care professionals to talk about stillbirth and stillbirth prevention.
Kate Cohen
Dr. Cohen is clinical director at Ft. Defiance Indian Hospital on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. Her mentorship philosophy stems from her training experiences, which include several global health projects including work in South Africa and American Samoa. Working at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital as a specialist OBGYN since September 2019, Dr. Cohen loves the collaborative environment with midwives, intensive GYN experience and ability to practice full-scope OB/GYN in a rural setting. Her mentoring philosophy emphasizes hands-on experience with support through open communication and teamwork.
Ernest Harry Begay
Ernest Harry Begay is a Traditional Counselor who resides at Rock Point, Arizona. He has been doing ceremonies constantly for 50 years. He has worked as a Traditional Practitioner for 10 years for the Navajo Department of Behavioral Health Services. He worked for 6 years as a Traditional Healer/Counselor for the Indian Health Services (Four Corners Regional Health Center – Red Mesa, Arizona). Presently, he is a Traditional Counselor for the Utah Navajo Health System. He has been using the Indigenous Navajo Modality which consists of Self Awareness, Self Respect, Self Help and Self Care. He uses the Navajo Oral Traditions of the Black, Blue, Yellow and White Worlds to heal. He helps people with substance abuse, mental challenges, behavioral disorders, domestic violence and the variety of sicknesses that clinical institutions deal with through allopathic medicine. He uses storytelling, ceremonies and sweat lodge as mechanisms to help people. He is also a traditional educator and presenter on a variety of topics; Parenting, indigenous education, indigenous governance, history, etc.
