Posted on: September 26, 2023
On September 30th, Island Health will honour the children who never returned home and the Survivors of residential schools, as well as their families and communities. Island Health publicly commemorates the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of colonialism as a vital part of reconciliation on Vancouver Island and beyond.
To reflect these impacts, Island Health recently brought together a group of Island Health employees and the Vice-Chair of the Island Health Board of Directors who bravely chose to tell their stories and share their wisdom, including:
- Jess McConnell, Manager West Coast, Indigenous Health
- Yula Stevens, Inuk, Indigenous Health Program Support
- Ga'axstal'as (Mary Knox), Kwakwaka'wakw Nation, Director Indigenous Health, Gilakas'la (thank you)
- Cheryl-Lynn Hébert, Métis, Clinical Nurse Coordinator
- Sekwan Wabasca, nēhiyaw & Métis, Manager Cultural Safety & Humility
- Chandra Berkan-Hozempa (she her/ they them), Director Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- Ron Rice (Wush'q), Cowichan Tribes, Vice-Chair Island Health Board of Director
This powerful video will be released on September 29 on intranet.islandhealth.ca