Name
Louisa
Tribal Nation
Inuk
Envision
Louisa Whiteley Tukkiapik, Inuk, grew up along the Koksoak River in Kuujjuaq, the largest northern village in the Nunavik region of Quebec. The river has always been important to her family for fishing, seal hunting, and as a place of peace and healing. Louisa took her children hunting with her family when they were babies. The family was intent that their children would grow up knowing their Inuit ways.
While her grandfather was born in an igloo, Louisa was born in the local hospital. She attended her two-year-old grandson’s home birth. Louisa has a background in Early Childhood Education and Social Sciences. She earned Health and Social Services management certification at McGill University in Montreal. Early on, she sensed midwifery was a path to give to her community.
Louisa’s journey in midwifery is not just a personal calling but a profound commitment to her community. She is currently pursuing Indigenous Midwifery at the Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre, a testament to her belief in the power of culturally informed healthcare. Her career has been marked by advocacy for women’s rights in healthcare, a cause that fuels her motivation to ensure Inuk reproductive health care is upheld within a rights-based framework. Her vision is to create a future where new generations of Inuit women and their families have unfettered access to culturally informed midwifery.
