From Blame to Care: Community-Driven Solutions for Inuit Women’s Perinatal Health in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut
Dr. Patricia Johnston & Mary Ann Forbes
Dr. Patricia (Patti) Johnston is a White settler (Qallunaaq/non-Indigenous person; Scottish and Irish descent) and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary (Central and Northern Region, Edmonton, AB). She has worked across Inuit Nunangat for over two decades leading community-based participatory research that supports Inuit well-being and self-determination, grounded in a commitment to Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ). Dr. Johnston is skilled at bringing together government, educators, social services, health professionals, Elders, youth, and community leaders to collaboratively address challenges identified by Inuit communities. Her work integrates Inuit knowledge into social services, education, and health research, with a focus on knowledge mobilization to advance community-driven social change. Recognized as a highly successful Early Career Scholar, she is dedicated to fostering equitable partnerships and enabling northern Indigenous communities to lead their own solutions.
Mary Ann Forbes is a proud Inuk, born and raised in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. Mary Ann has been a visitor on Treaty 7 territory for 30 years and originally came to Calgary to obtain her master's degree in Educational Psychology. Mary Ann has returned to study at the University of Calgary this Fall and is working towards a master's in Public Policy. Mary Ann has advocated for children, youth, and vulnerable adults in non-profit, education, government, post-secondary, and public sector settings, while also encouraging organizations to decolonize and incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing. She is passionate about community building, healing from shame and intergenerational trauma, and celebrating Indigenous Peoples. As a part of the Inuit Perinatal Health Project, Mary Ann is helping to build resources and capacity in community with other Inuit.