Ocama means “listen” in Taino-Arawak, a language of the Indigenous peoples from the islands known today as the Caribbean and South America (Abya Yala). Inspired by this indigenous word, Ocama Collective views birthwork as unique as each pregnancy, birth plan, and birth care. We “listen” not only with our ears, but with heart and spirit, to each individual and baby that enters our circle of care. The Collective is open to ALL IBPOC families seeking a nurturing space to “listen” together.
The Collective seeks to create access to cost supported full-circle and community-based birth care, through the Community Circle Care offering, as an imperative factor in reducing infant mortality, improving childbearing and birth satisfaction, and supporting maternal/parental physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. In addition to cost supported pregnancy and birth care, we endeavour to increase access to community-based resources for daily living and health, and revitalizing ceremonial and ritual based practices that are deeply interwoven in our communities’ mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual support.
It is a key goal for us to facilitate safe space for 2S, trans, queer, non-binary, genderqueer, and agender folx, to fully engage in pregnancy and birth care that is self-directed, holistic, and satisfactory.
We stand and operate in solidarity with the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island, the original stewards of this land we call Canada, in reclaiming sovereignty rights and shifting the narrative to one of decolonization and indigenizing our worldview.
Plant medicine illustrations provided by Tee Fergus
Website designed and created by Solana Cain
