Kenhtè:ke Midwives
Miranda Brant
Apprentice Onkwehón:we Midwife
Hello everyone, my name is Tewahséhtha (Miranda Brant). I am Mohawk, turtle clan from Kenhtè:ke (Tyendinaga) and I am the apprentice midwife at Kenhtè:ke Midwives. I have been working and learning at Kenhtè:ke Midwives since we opened our doors in May 2012 and prior to becoming an apprentice midwife I was a birth doula here in our community.
I completed my Birth Doula Training through Dona International as well as breastfeeding support classes in Toronto in 2010. I then worked as a Birth Doula supporting women and their growing families.
It was my older sister that first introduced me to midwifery when she had her first child in 2004. With the help of her midwife she had her first child at home surrounded by family who sang our new baby into this world and I was hooked. I was very interested in birth and by the time I had my own children, both with the support of midwives, I knew that I was a midwife waiting to be trained.
It is who I am. It is where I fit in my community. I was born in Belleville Ontario and grew up here in Kenhtè:ke. I am proud to call Kenhtè:ke home and am now raising my own family here. My husband and I are both from Kenhtè:ke and are raising our two children active in the Kanyen’kéha language and culture. Our girls are both first language Mohawk speakers and I hope that one day they will have the opportunity to raise their children in the language as well. I am excited and honored to be helping families bring their babies into the world in whichever way is best for them and helping parents and babies start their lives together confidently!
Iekonsiio Brant
Apprentice Onkwehón:we Midwife
She:kon, my name is Iekonsiio Brant. I am very grateful to be part of the team the Kenhtè:ke Midwives, Kontinenhanónhnha Tsi Tkahà:nayen. I am Kanyen’kéha-Mohawk born, raised and grew up in the small Mohawk Community of Kenhtè:ke -Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory.
I am currently at Moira Secondary School finishing my grade 12 OSGD Program. I was gifted my daughter during my second year of High School, and I am now in my fourth year at Moira.
My journey to becoming a Traditional Doula/ Auntie all began when I gave birth to my own child. It changed me greatly as a woman, and opened my eyes to a worldview I didn’t have or understand before she arrived.
One of my special skills/gifts are being patient and caring when it’s needed the most. My interests are spending time outdoors in nature, amateur photography, and finding new information/knowledge.
What I love most is spending time, and taking care of my family. I believe in the Traditional Midwifery Model of Care and the empowerment that women can experience when given the choice to birth in the way that is right for them.
Julie Wilson
Onkwehón:we Midwife
Bio coming soon...
Erin Ferrante
Program Assistant
She:kon, my name is Erin Ferrante and I am Kanienkehaka from Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. I am thankful to have been working in my home community for the past 5 years, with expertise in Human Resources and Administration.
I have over 9 years of Administrative experience combined in both the business and medical fields. My previous education is in health science, and I am currently working on my Human Resources Management Certificate through online studies. I am elated to be joining the Kenhte:ke Midwives as the Program Assistant.
To be an Indigenous Woman, living and working in my home community is a gift I do not take for granted. I am passionate about the strength of our community and the families within it and how Aboriginal midwifery promotes the regeneration and preservation of our culture, language and the overall well-being of our women and families. I am thankful to walk this path with the Kenhte:ke Midwives and the families they nurture along the way. Nia:wen Kowa.
Linda Maracle
House Mother
Hello everyone, my name is Linda Maracle. I am Mohawk, Wolf clan from Kenhtè:ke (Tyendinaga) and have lived and worked my whole life providing services to my home Community of Kenhtè:ke. I come from a family of 10 siblings, and I have two children of my own, Lisa and Jason Maracle, and have five grandchildren.
I am the House Mother at Kontinenhanónhnha Tsi Tkahà:nayen – Kenhtè:ke Midwives Clinic. My work history is very extensive; I have been working as the Head Cook at the Tyendinaga Day Care for the past five years, providing nutritional meals and care for the children. I also worked for Mohawk Family Services for 13 years, as a Court & Family Service worker on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. Prior to that, I was an Early Childhood Educator for 19 years providing services for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte. I was an Educational Assistant at the Quinte Mohawk School for two years, and also provided services as a Day Camp Supervisor for the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.
My educational background comprises of certification from Laurentian University in Sudbury, in the Aboriginal Educational Assistant Program, from Loyalist College in Belleville in conjunction with FNTI, in the Social Services Worker Program. I also completed the Early Child Education Program through Loyalist.
My whole life has been dedicated to supporting our Community, our Children and Families. I am very honoured and look forward to working with my co-workers, the new Mothers to be, and to start my new path as House Mother of Kontinenhanónhnha Tsi Tkahà:nayen.
Samantha Spencer
Apprentice Onkwehón:we Midwife
Bio coming soon...
Meet the team
Board of directors
Stacia Loft
Stacia L. Loft (Ie’khahatahkhe) is Kanien’keha:ka from Kenhte:ke (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory). Stacia has had the privilege of working in local, provincial, national and international Indigenous spaces for the past 18 years. Stacia is completing her final year of the Juris Doctor program at Queen’s Law and will graduate in 2020.
Stacia is also completing her second term as an elected Band Councillor with the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, holding the Housing and Community Well-Being portfolios.
Stacia holds an Honors BA in Political Science from the University of Western Ontario, and a certificate in Conflict Management. In her spare time, Stacia is an avid long-distance runner, culinary explorer, adventure traveller, and mother.
Karen Green
Chairperson
Karen is a lawyer who has spent her career advocating and promoting the rights of First Nations People, particularly those of First Nation’s women and children. She worked for most of her career with the Department of Justice and spent two years, on an executive exchange from the Department of Justice, as the Chief Executive Officer of the Native Women’s Association of Canada.
When the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was created after the Oka crisis, Karen played a key role as the writer and advisor on the women’s chapter of the report. After her retirement from the federal public service in 2014, Karen worked for the University of Ottawa, as a Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous issues; and at Carleton University as the Director of Equity Services.
Now self-employed as a lawyer and policy consultant, she specializes in Indigenous issues, seeking to advance the rights of Indigenous people. Currently, Karen is the President of the Makonsag Aboriginal Program and a member of the University of Ottawa Indigenous Education Council. She is a past Director of the Ottawa Community Foundation where she still serves as a member of the Grants Committee.
Karen is a member of the Ontario Bar. She received her law degree from Queen’s University and her undergraduate degree in Economics and Sociology from Trent University.
Jason Maracle Young
She:kon, My name is Dr. Jason Maracle Young. I am turtle clan. I was born and raised in upstate NY, but my family ties are here in Kenhte:ke. I did my schooling in exercise physiology, strength and conditioning and eventually my doctorate in chiropractic. I met my beautiful wife Rebecca in chiropractic school and today we have two clinics where we practice together one in Kingston and the other here in Shannonville known as ForeverYoung.
We have loved having the opportunity to offer natural hands on healthcare to the members of our community.
As chiropractors our focus is motherhood, children and families. We believe in the importance of chiropractic care for improving physiology from the beginning of life, but this is only a portion, albeit a significant one, of the benefits offered by chiropractic care. We love caring for pregnant mothers, their newborn children and rest of their families.
Rebecca and I have three wonderful munchkins. We loved having the assistance of a midwife and doula at all our births, two home births and one hospital birth. Midwives where an invaluable asset for all our pregnancies and births. We were elated when Dorothy offered us the opportunity to be part of the Kenkte:ke midwives. We cherish the time to help support Dorothy in her noble mission to care for aboriginal families here and afar.
