Matinen (Madeline) was born in the Quebec part of

Nitassinan in 1932; she passed away in 2008. She married Jim Michelin from North West River, with whom she had 11 children. Growing up in nutshimit, Matinen visited many places throughout the Innu land.

 

As an Innu midwife, she started helping at births as early as the 1950s. Matinen also worked in the Grenfell Hospital in North West River with Dr. Paddon. Matinen assisted at many births in Labrador, including from the North Coast of

Labrador when they came down to birth here. 

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Brooke Davey describes that her grandmother

not only delivered many babies in Labrador,

but Matinen also picked up surplus breastmilk

from women in Sheshatshiu and North West

River, when the mother’s milk was unavailable

or insufficient.