The UBC Midwifery Program’s Vancouver campus is situated on the Musqueam people’s ancestral, traditional, and unceded territories. These lands have been a place of knowledge-sharing and care for countless generations, long before UBC was established here in 1914. We honour this legacy with respect and gratitude, recognizing our responsibility to engage with this history in meaningful ways.
Midwifery is rooted in care, connection, and respect for communities. Our program is committed to fostering trust, accountability, and justice by addressing colonization’s impacts on health systems and promoting culturally safe education and practice.
We strive to honour Indigenous ways of knowing in our classrooms, research, and clinical placements, reflecting midwifery’s values of collaboration and community well-being.
Acknowledgment is only the first step. We are dedicated to advancing the principles of UBC’s Indigenous Strategic Plan and strengthening relationships with the Musqueam and other Indigenous communities. Together, we work toward a more just and equitable future in healthcare. We invite our students, faculty, and staff to explore the Musqueam-UBC Memorandum of Affiliation and reflect on how they can contribute to these shared commitments.
Territorial Acknowledgements
UBC’s Vancouver campus is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.
The British Columbia Women’s Hospital (BCWH) campus, which is also located on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), with their head office located on the unceded and ancestral territory of the səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation).
The University of Victoria is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples who have a continued historical relationship with the land.
The new Fraser Valley site is part of Surrey Memorial Hospital that is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded shared territories of the q̓ ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) [kut-zee], q̓ ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ [Kwantlen], kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) [kwee-kwet- lum], Semiahmoo [semi-ah-moo] and sc̓əwaθən məsteyəxʷ Tsawwassen) [tsawah-sen] First Nations, and home to the Surrey-Delta Métis Association.
Anti-racism Statements
UBC Midwifery, as a member of the Canadian Association for Midwifery Education (CAMEd-ACFSF), stands firmly against anti-Indigenous racism, anti-Black racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance in all forms.
We recognize the ongoing impacts of colonialism and systemic inequities on Indigenous Peoples, Black communities, Jewish communities and other equity-deserving groups. We are committed to advancing equity, inclusion, cultural safety and anti-racist practices throughout our program and within the broader health-care system.
We do not tolerate antisemitism, as described in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism, nor do we tolerate harassment, discrimination or hate directed toward individuals or communities on the basis of race, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, culture, nationality, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability or other protected characteristics.
We support and align with organizational statements and actions that address these injustices and uphold human rights. These commitments inform our teaching, clinical education, research, leadership, policy development and community engagement.
Equity, inclusion and cultural safety are integral to our work with students, faculty, staff, preceptors, Indigenous partners, and the diverse individuals, families and communities we serve. We remain committed to creating learning and practice environments where people feel respected, valued, supported and safe, and to continuing the work required to make those environments possible.
For definitions and guidance on equity-related terminology, please refer to UBC’s Equity & Inclusion Glossary of Terms.
Resources:
- UBC Equity & Inclusion Glossary of Terms
- International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Antisemitism