Ohpikihâwasowin (grounding and guiding on the path to be a healthy parent): virtual adaptation of an Elders mentoring program to support maternal and child wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The Elders Mentoring Program (EMP) is part of a strengths-based community-based participatory research partnership with the Cree communities of Maskwacîs, Alberta, Canada. The EMP objective is to promote maternal and child health through traditional Cree teachings and support from community Elders to pregnant women and their partners. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Elders decided to shift the program to an online format in early 2021. The Elders continued to offer mentorship to program participants virtually by Zoom and telephone, and online workshops. The objective of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences of women that took part in the virtual EMP.

Methods: We utilized qualitative description as our method, informed by our overarching community-led research partnership. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted by Maskwacîs research assistants (RAs) with 11 women who participated in the virtual program. Interviews were conducted between December 2021 and June 2022. The participants were asked about their perceptions of the program and its benefits. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded by four RAs using thematic analysis.

Results: Although cultural teachings are traditionally offered in person, the shift to the virtual platform was greatly appreciated by all the women. Technology can be a useful tool for cultural teachings and language to be shared among community members when they cannot be physically together. Four main themes emerged from the data, representing the participants' experiences, and learning through their interactions with the Elders from the EMP. The themes are: Ohpikihâwasowin (grounding and guiding on the path to be a healthy parent); Indigenous ways of healing; On the path of cultural learning; and Identity for self and baby.

Conclusion: The virtual adaptation of the EMP allowed a space for Elders to offer support to women living in and out of the community to provide guidance with their pregnancies and into motherhood. The workshops and one-on-one calls allowed for cultural revitalization which is critical for Indigenous well-being. All the participants found that the teachings and interactions positively impacted their pregnancy and parenthood. Overall, the virtual program demonstrated a venue for intergenerational healing and resilience.