Indigenous Women’s Experiences With Perinatal Nursing Care: Beyond Deficit Narratives to Work Toward Sovereign Wellbeing

Iitsim'kaatsita is a four-phase study grounded in Indigenous Research Methodologies that explores how nursing can mitigate perinatal health inequities experienced by Indigenous women. This paper presents findings from Phase 2: a survey of Blackfoot women's experiences with perinatal nursing care in southern Alberta, Canada. Of the participants (n = 107), 68 contributed written responses. Women reported discrimination, surveillance, and cultural exclusion, but also expressed agency, resistance, and relational strength. This study adds the voices of Blackfoot women to nursing scholarship and calls for a shift from cultural sensitivity/competency toward culturally safe, accountable, equity-oriented care rooted in Indigenous sovereignty and guided by Blackfoot values.