This year’s celebration of Indigenous Nurses Day, held on April 9, was organized jointly by the Ingram School of Nursing’s Office for Social Accountability in Nursing (OSAN) and the Golden Age Club in Kahnawà:ke. The Club served as a gracious host to McGill faculty and students as well as working and retired Indigenous nurses in attendance. As noted by Josée Lavallée (Red River Métis), RN, OSAN Director, “It was an honour to be invited to Kahnawà:ke for the event. It was important to go to community as the event is really is about celebrating Indigenous nurses.”
In addition to a hybrid panel discussion, the event featured a book display and reading list curated by Sabine Calleja, McGill University’s Nursing Liaison Librarian, a meal locally catered by Messy Kitchen, and ample opportunity for mingling and informal conversation.
The panel featured three accomplished Indigenous women: Rebbeca Boyer (Kanienʼkehá:ka), a nurse practitioner working in Akwesasne; Kim Martin (Kanienʼkehá:ka), RN, Dean of Indigenous Education, Transition Programs and Criminology Intervention, John Abbott College; and Valerie Diabo (Kanienʼkehá:ka), RN, Executive Director of the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre. Facilitated by Josée Lavallée, the panelists used storytelling to share lived experiences, highlight achievements, and honour their personal impact as well as the legacy of Indigenous nurses on healthcare and community well-being. Additionally, Indigenous nurses and nursing students present at the event shared their perspectives through interviews, enriching the conversation with diverse voices and lived experiences.
Trisha Awashish (Cree), RN, second-year BNI on campus student, shared that her career path was influenced early on by a guidance counsellor who recognized her strengths and suggested nursing as a good fit. Reflecting on her role in Indigenous health, Trisha emphasized the importance of representation and advocacy. “I feel like my representation alone really helps people. They see someone of color, someone who doesn’t look like the general population. And I think being a minority myself, I can advocate for other minorities as well.”
Ingram School of Nursing alumna Erin Patton (Kanienʼkehá:ka), RN, MSc(A) is currently studying medicine at McGill. Although she had been contemplating medical school for some time, it was a graduate-level ethics course examining systemic issues in healthcare and education that solidified her decision. “There needs to be nursing representation and representation of Indigenous people in medicine,” she says. By bringing an Indigenous perspective and a nursing foundation into medical training, Erin hopes to integrate patient-centered, holistic care in spaces where these approaches are not always prioritized. Underscoring the importance of visibility and inclusion in professional spaces, she concluded that, “It’s inspiring to see how Indigenous nurses are in leadership, creating change for our communities.”
Originally trained in microbiology, Tamara Hansen (Inuvialuit), RN, MSc(A)-N, switched to nursing when she realized she wanted a healthcare career offering “more connection with the patient and more relationship building.” Accepted into McGill’s direct-entry master’s in nursing, Tamara graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic while raising her young child. After working in long-term care as a registered nurse and nurse-in-charge, she transitioned into her current role at Kateri Memorial Hospital in Kahnawake in quality improvement and risk management. Her approach to Indigenous health is grounded in trust, shared experience, and cultural safety, creating spaces where patients feel heard and respected. This is particularly important given the long history of harm and mistrust in healthcare systems. “Trust is incredibly easy to break… we’re slowly trying to rebuild that relationship,” she said.
Panelist Rebecca Boyer (Kanienʼkehá:ka), a primary care nurse practitioner and graduate of the Ingram School of Nursing, described her journey into nursing as deeply rooted in community, a strong desire to care for others, and the influence of her mother, who is also a nurse. While working as a frontline nurse in her community of Akwesasne, Rebecca witnessed significant gaps in access to care and follow-up, with too many patients falling through the cracks. In her current role, she improves access to safer, more culturally respectful care while fostering trust. “It’s about being Indigenous and making people feel comfortable… not just pushing Westernized medicine, but listening and understanding,” she explained. Honest about the challenges she has encountered, she highlighted that the path, while difficult, is achievable.
Retired nurse and event co-chair Wendy Skye-Delaronde (Kanienʼkehá:ka), spoke about how being a nurse in her community fed her sense of purpose. “I didn’t choose nursing; nursing chose me,” she said. Despite initial self-doubt, she forged a career where cultural understanding and shared experiences improved care, especially for older patients, and where true leadership demanded integrity and a willingness to speak up. Her experiences with racism in healthcare strengthened her resolve to advocate for herself and her community: “You have to stand your ground.”
Read more about the event here: https://easterndoor.com/article/celebrating-our-nurses
Cover photo, left to right: Josée Lavallée, Kim Martin, Rebecca Boyer, Valerie Diabo, Wendy Skye.
