"Aboriginal Nursing: Pathways Among Communities, College and University"

DATE: Monday, February 13th, 2012
TIME: 9:00am-3:30pm
LOCATION: Celebration Hall (basement, Kenneth Taylor Hall), McMaster University

"Aboriginal Nursing: Pathways Among Communities, College and University" is the second and final Aboriginal Health forum in the Aboriginal Students Health Sciences (ASHS) office Aboriginal Health Speaker Series for 2012. The series focuses on the health priorities specific to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Including Aboriginal and Indigenous speakers from across the country who represent community based workers, clinicians, researchers, scholars, policy makers, Elders and Traditional healers; the health forums are discipline specific and collaborative.

Forum goals:

To bring together people interested in Aboriginal health with a special focus on Nursing.
To create a learning environment where participants and speakers will engage in meaningful dialogue around Aboriginal Nursing education, practice and research.
To create an opportunity for inter-professional discussion on Aboriginal Nursing.
To bring forward new ways of understanding Nursing within an Aboriginal context.
To showcase the bridging opportunities between community, college and university programs/degrees.

To create networking and support opportunities for students and professionals.

Areas of discussion may include:

Social determinants of health; health promotion; community health; traditional approaches to Aboriginal Nursing; curriculum adaptation and enhancement; cultural safety within the teaching/learning environment; Aboriginal scholarship; community partnerships, direction and collaboration; increased recruitment and retention of Aboriginal students in the academy; prevention, care and disease management; and Aboriginal health research methodology, ethics and knowledge translation.

In order to address the goals the forum will begin with a series of presentations from speakers representing diverse roles within the health field such as practitioners, policy-makers, researchers, students and Elders/Knowledge Holders. Topics of discussion will revolve around speaker views on Aboriginal Nursing within the academy. The speakers and participants will then engage in smaller informal town hall discussions where participants are able to discuss Aboriginal Nursing relevant to the speakers’ area of knowledge and expertise.

To ensure equitable access and participant diversity the ASHS office has reserved seats for Nursing students, students from Six Nations Polytechnic and members of the surrounding urban Aboriginal community.

About the Collaborators:

Aboriginal Students Health Sciences (ASHS) Office, McMaster University

Our mandate is to see increased Aboriginal student preparedness, entry and completion of health science programs. The ongoing identification and removal of barriers to success within the university including increasing awareness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis health issues among the faculty and student body and the improved relationships between the university and local Aboriginal communities.

The mandate is fulfilled by providing student career counselling and assistance with the admissions and application processes; working closely with health sciences programs to strategize ways for removing barriers and improving preparedness and access for students; acting as an advocate and champion for First Nations, Inuit and Métis student priorities; linking with local Aboriginal communities and organizations for consultation, outreach and recruitment; and, creating an inclusionary environment for First Nations, Inuit and Métis students within the university which includes infusion of First Nations, Inuit and Métis specific content into all health science programs curriculum.

Six Nations Polytechnic

Six Nations Polytechnic is an Aboriginal community-controlled, community based human resource development center addressing issues and needs from an Aboriginal perspective. Offering programs and courses of study in partnership with all levels of government; commissions; industries; commerce and other education and training institutions, Six Nations Polytechnic emphasizes developing and promoting the retention and reflection of Hodinohso:ni/Rotinonshonni culture, languages and values.

School of Nursing, McMaster University

The McMaster University School of Nursing is internationally renowned for its innovation in nursing education. We continue to build on a stellar reputation for developing and enhancing capacity for nursing education across the globe while delivering high-quality, responsive and student-centred education programs at home.

For over 60 years we have provided leadership within the Hamilton community, and beyond, in nursing education, nursing scholarship and research, and nursing practice. Through a vast network of partnerships locally, nationally and internationally, and through the work of our faculty, staff, students and graduates, we have been successful in having a positive impact on the development of the nursing profession for the 20th and 21st centuries.

The leadership of McMaster's Nursing program and its engagement with communities inspire people to choose nursing and McMaster. The mission and values of the Nursing program strengthen the contribution of nursing to the improvement of health for all, locally to internationally, through the discovery, communication and application of knowledge. In the program's teaching, research, scholarship, administration and practice, great value is placed on innovation, integrity, person-centredness, social justice, problem-based learning and collaborative partnerships.

Indigenous Studies Program, McMaster University (Public Lecture Host)

The Indigenous Studies Program was developed in direct response to the expressed desires of the Aboriginal representatives, both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students and educators from this region for greater accessibility and support from the University. Established in 1991, the program now has over 100 First Nations Students attending McMaster, and 150 to 200 non-Aboriginal students taking Indigenous Studies courses. Focusing on preserving and promoting Indigenous Knowledge to students and researchers whom are interested in examining Aboriginal cultures and perspectives, the program’s faculty and staff are committed to enhance and support First Nations, Métis and Inuit Students in their academic achievements.

Click here to download the PDF version of the agenda.

Keynote Speaker: Amy Montour BScN, MSc (Nursing), MD

Family Medicine Resident, Six Nations Family Health Team

“My Journey into Higher Education: Changing Directions and Opening Doors”

Amy is from the Oneida Nation on Six Nations. She was a stay at home mom of three children until she returned to school at the age of 25 to finish high school. Upon completion of a General Education Diploma she enrolled in the Pre-Health Sciences program at Six Nations Polytechnic to prepare for university. Her next step was to complete a Bachelors Degree in Science in Nursing at McMaster University while working part-time as a personal support worker at Iroquois Lodge. Immediately upon graduation she began working as a registered nurse at the Lodge and enrolled in the Masters of Science program at McMaster. Upon graduation from this program in 2008 she entered the Medical Doctor program at McMaster and graduated with her MD in 2011. Currently, she is a family medicine resident at McMaster working at the Six Nations Family Health Team with Dr. Karen Hill.

Katrina Graham

Level 4 Nursing Student (CoMac)

“A Journey Back to My Roots- Perspective of an Aboriginal Nursing Student”

Katrina Graham is a fourth year Bachelor of Science in nursing student from the Conestoga-McMaster (CoMac) Campus expected to graduate in Spring 2012. Katrina grew up in Kitchener Ontario, with her mother’s biological family originating from Moose Cree First Nation. Katrina has become connected with her native family and community through the Aboriginal services at Conestoga College also known as Be-Da-Bin-Gamik. Katrina’s healing journey back to her roots has been fostered and nurtured though nursing school and the traditional counseling and healing that Be-Da-Bin-Gamik services has offered her. Many of her undergraduate nursing studies are focused on the health of our Original Peoples and other Indigenous groups around the world. This past summer she was fortunate to complete a clinical placement at Anishnawbe Health Toronto, where she worked within the pre-post natal unit as well as with the osh-ka-be-wis and traditional healers. She strives to bring the two worlds of traditional healing and the modern medicine together as a nurse to heal all her clients wholistically. Walking in both worlds she has learned is a privilege and gift, and looks forward to implementing what she has learned from all her teachers into practice. Katrina is highly involved with Conestoga Colleges Aboriginal Student Association, organizing events such as Pow Wows, visits from political figures, talking and drumming circles, and college activities. Katrina has also become a mentor for other students and youth in her community and continues to share the importance of knowing your identity to achieve a balanced and healthy life.

You can read more from Katrina on her blog "Nish Vibes".

Johanne McCarthy, ND

Founder, Healing Journey Naturopathic Clinic

Aboriginal Student Counselor, Mohawk College

“Enhancing Nursing Education through Aboriginal Community Partnerships”

Dr. Johanne McCarthy is from the Onondaga Nation of the Six Nations of the Grand River and is a happy mother of two. She is the founder of the Healing Journey Naturopathic Clinic established in 2005, in Caledonia, Ontario and the first Naturopathic member of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada. Johanne is also an Aboriginal Student Counsellor at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. She has published many educational articles about Aboriginal health and healing including most recently a research article titled “The Context of Aboriginal Health in Canada” published in the Canadian Association of Naturopathic Doctor’s Journal- Vital Link (Fall 2011). She also co-authored a paper titled, "Naturopathic Medicine for the Improved Health Care within Canadian Aboriginal Communities" conducted by the Department of Research and Clinical Epidemiology at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. Johanne has also published a paper on the Great Peace CD Rom which is an educational tool distributed to elementary schools across Ontario titled, "Ecologinal Well Being: An Exploration of the Intimate Relationship between Haudenosaunee Medical Practices and the Environment". Johanne is an avid public speaker who enjoys sharing her research at McMaster University, Mohawk College, Georgian College, the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine and within her community. She enjoys her role at Mohawk College supporting students to achieve their personal and academic goals. Johanne continues to work particularly close with Mohawk's Practical Nursing with Aboriginal Communities program to help both Native and non-Native students respect the context of health and the importance of incorporating wholistic, nature based, culturally relevant practices into care. She hopes that her contribution to education and her community will reverberate to make life a little easier for the coming faces of the next seven generations and is grateful that her ancestors made decisions with her future and the future of her own children in mind.

Donna Rawlin, RN, BScN, MSc(T), PhD (student)

Associate Dean, Nursing Program, Mohawk College

“Enhancing Nursing Education through Aboriginal Community Partnerships”

Donna Rawlin, a graduate of Mohawk College’s Diploma Nursing Program, has worked in many acute and community practice settings as a staff nurse prior to attending McMaster University, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and subsequently a Master of Science (Teaching) degree. She has extensive teaching, managerial and leadership experience, through previous employment positions and participation in professional organizations. Currently, she is an Associate Dean, Collaborative Nursing and Health Sciences at Mohawk College and manages the PSW and Practical Nursing Programs, Practical Nursing for Aboriginal Communities (PNAC) program in partnership with Six Nations Polytechnic and the collaborative BScN program with McMaster University and Conestoga College.

Donna initiated the development of a simulation program at Mohawk College, leading the integration of “real-life” simulated clinical experiences into nursing programs. She has experience working as an investigator for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and a manager in acute health services in Hamilton. She is involved with many internal and external committees, and has had experience working with national, provincial and local organizations related to nursing accreditation standards and patient safety in health care. Donna is currently pursuing a PhD at McMaster University, conducting research to examine the organizational leadership required to develop patient safety evaluation measures for health care delivery, in a community context.

Janet Landeen, PhD, RN

Associate Dean, School of Nursing, McMaster University

Remarks on the School of Nursing

Janet Landeen, PhD, RN, is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and is an Associate Member of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from the University of Connecticut in 1973, her Masters degree in Education from the University of Victoria in 1988, and her PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Toronto in 2000. She has a long history in clinical nursing practice in psychiatric/mental health nursing and in administrative positions in clinical nursing prior to beginning her academic career. She has been at McMaster since 1987, first holding a joint appointment with the Hamilton Program for Schizophrenia and the School of Nursing, and subsequently joining the School of Nursing full time in 1997. She held a CIHR Investigator’s Award from 2002 to 2005. Her research interests have concentrated on living with serious mental illness and on best practices in nursing education. She has been the Assistant Dean of the Undergraduate Nursing Education Program since 2005. Her current focus is on undergraduate nursing curriculum and she teaches both undergraduate and graduate nursing students.

Public Lecture Hosted by the Indigenous Studies Program: Gerald Taiaiake Alfred, PhD

Professor, Indigenous Governance Program, University of Victoria

Indigenous Studies Public Lecture: "The Psychic Landscape of Contemporary Colonialism"

The Indigenous Studies program is pleased to host Gerald Taiaiake Alfred for a public lecture. Gerald Taiaiake Alfred is a Full Professor in IGOV and in the Department of Political Science. He specializes in studies of traditional governance, the restoration of land-based cultural practices, and decolonization strategies. He is a prominent Indigenous intellectual and advisor to many First Nation governments and organizations. He has been awarded a Canada Research Chair, a National Aboriginal Achievement Award in the field of education, and the Native American Journalists Association award for best column writing.

Educated at Concordia and Cornell, Taiaiake has lectured at universities and colleges in Canada, the United States, England, and Australia. His writing includes numerous scholarly articles, essays in newspapers, magazines and journals, stories, book-length research reports for First Nations and government clients, as well as three published scholarly books, Wasáse (Broadview, 2005), a runner-up for the McNally Robinson Aboriginal Book of the Year in 2005; Peace, Power, Righteousness (Oxford University Press, 1999/2009); and Heeding the Voices of Our Ancestors (Oxford University Press, 1995).

Taiaiake's current research involves studying the effects of environmental contamination on Indigenous cultural practices, with a special focus on the Mohawk community of Akwesasne. In the context of the United States' Natural Resources Damages Assessment process, he works as a consultant with a number of Indigenous communities to assess cultural injury due to industrial and nuclear contamination of the natural environment, and to design land-based cultural restoration plans. His previous research and consulting work centered on retraditionalization, structural reform, and leadership training for First Nations governments and organizations. He also spent many a number of years as a researcher, writer, negotiator and advisor for First Nations governments in land claims and self-government processes.

Taiaiake is a Bear Clan Mohawk . He was born in Montréal in 1964 and was raised in the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory. Aside from his service in the US Marine Corps as an infantryman during the 1980s, he lived in Kahnawake until 1996. He now lives on Snaka Mountain in Wsanec Nation Territory on the Saanich peninsula with his wife and three sons, who are all Laksilyu Clan of the Wet'suwet'en Nation.

You can follow Taiaiake on Twitter: @Taiaiake. Access recent writings and an archive of downloadable PDF versions of Taiaiake's academic research papers, as well as future writings and blogs on his website: http://taiaiake.posterous.com/.

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Location: Health Sciences Centre (HSC) 2A1E
Faculty of Health Sciences,
McMaster University
1200 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5

Mailing Address: Health Sciences Centre (HSC) 3H46-B
Faculty of Health Sciences,
McMaster University
1280 Main Street West
Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1

ASHS TEAM/STUDENT SPACE
HSC, Rm, 2A1E
Tel: 905-525-9140 x23935
ashs@mcmaster.ca

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