Parts Known & Unknown: Exploring the Borders of Truth, Reconciliation and Redress

Every Child Matters

Parts Known & Unknown: Exploring the Borders of Truth, Reconciliation and Redress

W. Kamau Bell joined Anthony Bourdain in Kenya in what was to be the final season of the CNN series, Parts Unknown. Kamau has roots in Kenya and this was his first time travelling to the motherlands of his people, and he stated something that I thought was interesting. He said something like, “coming to Kenya, you know, it’s nice to have a diasporic-kind-of-connection, even though I did not come from Kenya, but I have roots in Kenya, and even if that frame that the connection was built through was colonialism.”

It made me think about what it would be like for someone like myself to travel to the ancestral homes of my people. Well, this is my home. Certainly, more than it is your home, and in this era of truth and reconciliation, it is now both my home as much as it is your home. I come from no other place in the world than from right here, diitiidʔaaʔtx̣ – Ditidaht, we are the Nuuchahnulth and the seas for miles of shoreline and all of the land on the western side of our Vancouver Island home, from Point No Point in the south to Brooks Peninsula in the north, is Nuuchahnulth territory, our haahuulthii.

In the conclusion of that episode with W. Kamau Bell in Parts Unknown, Tony narrates an epilogue, “Who gets to tell the stories? This is a question asked often. The answer in this case, for better or for worse, is I do, at least this time out. I do my best, I look, I listen, but in the end, I know it’s my story. Not Kamau’s, not Kenya’s, or Kenyans’. Those stories are yet to be heard.”

It’s important for colonial settlers, and for new settlers, to Canada to consider who you are and where you come from, and what it means to live in British Columbia, and to think about your own frame of reference as being truly Canadian, even if that frame that the connection was built through was colonialism. The context, the narrative, the history, the good or bad of it, the story of what it means to be Canadian is apart and a part of your individual and shared story as a British Columbian, as a Canadian, as an unwelcomed or welcomed colonial settler, and as a new settler. The stories that have yet to be heard, and are now starting in some ways to be told, is our story, my story, of what it means to be diitiidʔaaʔtx̣, to be Nuuchahnulth, to be First Nations, to be Indigenous, and to also be Canadian in this country and in this province.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a unique opportunity to bridge the divide of our individual and collective stories, our distinct and shared experiences, and our united effort to right and write a new history chaptered with the stories of a sincere determination to tell the truths of the past, to reaffirm and renew our commitments to reconcile all things oppressive, racist and insufferable, and to create an honest and just redress for all Indigenous – First Nations, Inuit, Métis – peoples. It would be momentous to proclaim someday that we all come from a country in which the frame that the connection was built through was equality, acceptance and compassion.

It’s fair to ask, “What will you do between October 1^st, 2022 and September 29^th, 2023, to recognize your part in this history, this story, and what will you actively do to shift the narrative?” We’re at an urgent time in our country’s history to thoughtfully and actively explore all parts known and unknown in our ongoing journey to come to terms with each other and with our past, and with the present day. I look forward to the work ahead this year, and I’ll look forward to us hearing each other’s stories next year and in the many years to come.

With Respect,

Derek Thompson – Thlaapkiituup
Indigenous Initiatives Advisor, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

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“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Read the Message from the Indigenous Initiatives Advisor, Derek Thompson – Thlaapkiituup, here

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Welcome to REDI

Welcome Nitasha Rajoo: REDI’s Equity Education Specialist

We are delighted to welcome Nitasha Rajoo to the REDI team as our Equity Education Specialist, Dialogue and Facilitation. In this role, she will partner with colleagues across the Faculty of Medicine to design, deliver, and evaluate evidence-informed educational programming and events that advance equity, decolonization, Indigenization, inclusive leadership, and relational skills.

Nitasha brings a wealth of experience and global perspectives, shaped by her work across the arts, education, healthcare, and diverse communities. Her use of storytelling and theatre to build connection and dialogue will enrich our shared work of culture transformation. Meet Nitasha and learn about her journey below.

Nitasha Rajoo (She/Her)
Equity Education Specialist, Dialogue and Facilitation, REDI

Read Nitasha’s Bio

In all of her work as an educator, facilitator, and arts practitioner, Nitasha creates spaces where people can engage with curiosity and courage, hold meaningful dialogue across differences, and move from awareness to action.

Born in South Africa and raised in Canada, Nitasha stands on the shoulders of her parents, both educators, who nurtured in her a deep appreciation for cross-cultural connection, community, and curiosity. Her commitment to equity and inclusion has been integral to her practice, and she has long been drawn to the power of storytelling to build connection and invite people to see the world through stories that are too often left untold.

Her work across education, the arts, and the public sector has focused on equity, anti-racism, and social justice. Most recently, in healthcare, Nitasha served as the Anti-Racism Leader for Learning and Development at Vancouver Coastal Health, where she designed and led Foundations of Anti-Racism, a professional learning program for healthcare professionals. She continues to support teacher education at UBC as a Faculty Advisor with the Teacher Education Office.

Nitasha also sat on the Stratford Festival’s Anti-Racism Committee, contributing to organizational approaches to anti-racism, inclusion, and systems change in the theatre sector. She has presented at the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) on “Confronting Racism: Getting It Wrong While Trying to Get It Right.” As an Anti-Racism and Social Justice Facilitator with the BC Teachers’ Federation, she contributed to provincial anti-racism initiatives and symposiums and supported equity-focused projects and professional development across K–12 education. She has also consulted with the Office of the BC Human Rights Commissioner on public education initiatives addressing systemic discrimination in rural and urban communities across the province. Her community-based work includes collaborations with local immigration partnerships, exploring cultural connection, gender equity programming, and the experiences of third-culture communities.

Nitasha holds a Master of Arts from the University of Warwick. She spent a decade in the UK, first as Head of Drama and later as Assistant Principal and Director of Engagement at The City Academy in Hackney. During this time, she also worked with the charity Warwick in Africa, coaching educators in Limpopo, South Africa, and leading a leadership symposium for senior leaders and administrators across Ghana, Tanzania, and South Africa.

As a theatre practitioner, educator, director, and facilitator, Nitasha draws on storytelling and the arts to explore identity, foster dialogue, and build connection across communities. In the UK, she collaborated with Tamasha Theatre Company, The Black British Plays Project, National Theatre Connections, and the Barbican Box. In Canada, she has led education departments at the Stratford Festival and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and created professional study guides for theatre productions across the country.

In Vancouver, she co-created and led the Arts Club Theatre Company’s Creative Teens Theatre devising theatre program and contributed to its outreach initiatives, working with newcomer, refugee, and immigrant students to foster inclusivity, equity, and confidence through theatre-based practices.

Her work continues to be fuelled by the intersections of identity, culture, belonging, and lived experience, with a particular interest in cultural understanding and intercultural fluency. Nitasha is excited to bring her experience in education, facilitation, and community engagement to the REDI team.

Outside of work, Nitasha loves to cook, often blending recipes and flavours inspired by her family and travels. She is an avid patron of theatre and the performing arts, and she divides her time outdoors between the mountains and the coastline.

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PHSA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility Learning Pathway for Health Professionals

Raise awareness. Strengthen practice. Lead inclusively.

Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) offers a free learning pathway in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility for clinical and non-clinical health professionals who want to build practical skills for safer, more equitable patient care. Accredited through UBC CPD, the courses use healthcare-specific scenarios to help you apply EDI, anti-racist and anti-oppressive principles in your daily practice. Register for upcoming courses below.

Why this matters

Better healthcare outcomes when engaging with equitable and inclusive practices
Stronger, more engaged teams
Safer, respectful and anti-racist workplaces
Leadership excellence and system transformation

The learning pathway

Read the overview below, or view the full PHSA DEI Learning Pathway (PDF).

Level 1: Understanding Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEI 100)

Build foundational skills in diversity, equity and inclusion, including how power, privilege, identity and bias shape healthcare experiences. (6 CPD credits)

Level 2: Moving from Awareness to Action (DEI 200 and DEI 301)

DEI 200: Racism in Healthcare & Workplace Culture looks at the historical roots of racism in healthcare, bias in medicine and workplace culture. (6 CPD credits)
DEI 301: Anti-Racism and Anti-Discrimination Policy in Action explains the ARAD policy and how to engage with it. (2 CPD credits)

Level 3: Advancing Equity-Centered Leadership (DEI 400)

Inclusive Leadership in Unpredictable Times is a five-part leadership series covering inclusive leadership frameworks, trauma-informed leadership, critical allyship, and ethical leadership in the age of AI. (15 CPD credits total, 3 credits per part)

Download the PHSA DEI Learning Pathway (PDF) for more information and registration links. You can also register by emailing askdei@phsa.ca.

Equity in Healthcare Certificate Program

For those who want to go further, PHSA offers a nine-month certificate made up of three micro-certificates accredited by UBC CPD and delivered in partnership with Simon Fraser University. It offers advanced learning in health equity, inclusion, anti-racism and systemic change for clinical and non-clinical healthcare professionals. Learn More.

REDI Best Practices: Inclusive and Accessible Meetings

Practical tips for reducing barriers and creating inclusive, accessible meetings where everyone can meaningfully participate and contribute.

Download the PDF Guide

REDI Best Practices: Inclusive & Accessible Meetings

Inclusive, accessible meetings help to reduce barriers so that everyone can meaningfully engage. This helps to create a more collaborative work environment, one that promotes better innovation and a greater sense of belonging, which promotes wellbeing and retention.

Planning a Meeting

Ensure Equitable Access

Provide opportunities for those who cannot attend to have their voices heard and concerns recognized.
- For example, via an online message board, email or videoconference
Ask for input on accessibility and support needs– food allergies, sign language interpreter, etc.–and have a way to privately make anonymous support suggestions.
- Visit The UBC Centre for Workplace Accessibility for help.
Include information about locations of gender-inclusive washrooms, whether food is being provided, where the meeting is taking place, and directions for how to get there.
Provide wayfinding information for attendees who are in wheelchairs or who have other disabilities related to mobility and/or vision.
Communicate whether voting will take place and how to submit an absentee vote.
Document and maintain a record of inclusive meeting protocols for continuity across transitions and organizers.

Provide Materials

Provide an agenda that includes the following:
- Items to be discussed, items that are out-of-scope
- A basic timeline for the meeting, including time estimates per item
- Access to meeting visuals, slides and documents
- Links to notes, artifacts from prior meetings
Use font sizes and colours that have high contrasts and are easy to see.
- More information about creating accessible content
- A dyslexia-friendly style guide

Meeting Logistics

Opening

Review the group’s norms and inclusive practices.
Consider doing a land acknowledgement/reflection or establishing a rotation for this responsibility.
Engage in a non-business “ice breaker” activity to allow participants to socially connect with each other.
- Examples of ice breaker activities

Newcomers & Guests

If possible, provide the names, pronunciation and pronouns to new meeting participants.
Give new participants sufficient information about the goals, format, and context of the meeting.
Inform visitors about the group’s accessibility and inclusion practices.

Pacing & Flow

Respect the time estimates in the agenda, especially meeting start and end times.
If there is a heated conversation…
- Consider giving more time to think about it and revisit the topic at a later date.
- Say, “It seems like this is a topic that warrants more conversation, I will send out the relevant documents again and we will meet to discuss this topic again at the next meeting.”
Silence can mean many things and may not be a sign of consensus.
- If there is repeated silence, pause to allow the conversation to happen in pairs or smaller groups.
Pause effectively:
- After asking a question (to allow time for thinking/processing)
- After reading aloud slide headings
- To cue new visuals
- To allow for people who, for example, are neurodivergent, multi-lingual language learners, and/or introverted to gather their thoughts
Keep track of tasks assigned and person(s) responsible.
End the meeting by reviewing these assignments and people.

Group Decision-Making

If major decisions need to be made, do not rush decision-making or voting, if possible.
Whenever possible, make decisions through reaching consensus rather than voting.
- Consensus is reached when the group arrives to an outcome, result, or plan that all members of the group can live with.
- If someone disagrees with the direction of a group decision, a consensus approach requires that person propose an alternative direction for the group to discuss.
- The process of “majority rule”-style voting may exclude marginalized or differing perspectives.

Videoconferences

For larger group meetings, use audience polling tools and the chat interface to collect responses.
Use captioning, translation, recording, etc. to support diverse ways of processing information.
Have people introduce themselves before they speak.
Type questions into the chat as they are asked.
- Presenting information as both spoken audio and written visuals like this makes it easier to process.¹
Use breakout rooms for small group discussions; then have each group share a summary with the larger group.
Designate someone to monitor the chat feed for questions or comments.

After a Meeting

Post-Meeting & Follow-Up

Invite attendees (especially those who may not have spoken up in the meeting) if they have further comments or feedback they would like to share; sometimes people need more time to think before they participate.
Send an email to the entire group/team:
- Share all resources and additional documents that were discussed at the meeting with all participants, including those who were not able to attend.
- Indicate where any meeting minutes, slides, group notes can be found (in a shared folder, for example).
- Remind participants of any actions that need to be completed prior to the next meeting.

Inclusive, Accessible Meetings & Indigenization Practices

While meetings are opportunities to engage in and model Indigenous cultural practices, it is also important to do so in a way that is equitable and inclusive of Indigenous colleagues.

For example, beginning a meeting with a land acknowledgement or reflection can be an important way to center the group’s work on the caretakers of the lands; however, responsibility for such activities should be something everyone carries, not just Indigenous colleagues.

Instead, nominate a different person for each meeting to share about their experience of living on this territory. The Office of Faculty Development provides a Quick Tip Guide for Meaningful Land Acknowledgements, which can be used to learn more, rather than expecting Indigenous colleagues to teach the group.

Additionally, inclusion and Indigenization also mean recognizing the potential effects of the meeting’s subject matter on attendees and planning accordingly. For example, if a topic is triggering, like content or discussion about Orange Shirt Day, you should provide the option for Indigenous colleagues to participate or not in that portion of the meeting and respect their preferences.

Learn more about Indigenization in Faculty of Medicine and UBC:

Additional Resources

Get support for accessibility and inclusion:

UBC Centre for Accessibility (Vancouver Campus)
UBC Student Services, Accessibility on Campus (Okanagan Campus)

Learn more about inclusion and accessibility:

Why did REDI create this document?

This document was created to support managers and leaders in the Faculty of Medicine who are seeking companion resources specifically focused on improving equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and accessibility in day-to-day workplace and learning activities, such as meetings.

Works Cited

Clark JM, Paivio A. Dual coding theory and education. Educational Psychology Review. 1991 Sept;3(3):149–210. doi:10.1007/bf01320076

Contact REDI: To share a comment about this document, use the resource feedback form. If you have specific questions about practices to support members of historically, systemically, persistently marginalized groups, contact REDI for a consult.

How to Cite This Document: Inclusive and Accessible Meetings ©2026 by Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

Frybread Power: The Significance of Indigenous Empowerment, Pride & Resilience for Health

Thank you for joining our event on Monday, September 21, 2026, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Jack Poole Hall on the UBC Vancouver campus. The event was be offered both in person and via livestream. A recording is available below.

This Indigenous Speakers Series session featured Dr. Evan Tlesla Adams and Mr. Joe Gallagher, members of the Tla’amin Nation. Dr. Adams is the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Public Health at the First Nations Health Authority and host of the docuseries The Conversation. Mr. Gallagher is the Vice President, Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety at the Provincial Health Services Authority.

Learn about their journeys in storytelling, medicine, and health-system transformation, and how these experiences have shaped their vision for thriving Indigenous futures.

Watch the Recording

Event Overview

Program

Bios

Description

Watch the Recording

Topic | Frybread Power: The Significance of Indigenous Empowerment, Pride & Resilience for Health

Date: Monday, September 21^st, 2026

Time: 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (PT)

Live Stream & Recording | Register to receive the webcast link or access to the recording after the event.

In-person location (In-person seating is nearing capacity) | Jack Poole Hall, Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre, 6163 University Boulevard, UBC Vancouver Point Grey Campus (Google Maps location)

Parking

University Boulevard Lot (Premium — next door to venue)
6163 University Blvd, V6T 1Z1
Pricing: $4.06 per hour — no maximum
Directions

Health Science Parkade (Economy — five-minute walk)
2250 Health Science Mall, V6T 1Z3
Pricing: $4.06 per hour — maximum $22.12 (daytime/evening)
Directions

North Parkade (Economy — five-minute walk)
6115 Student Union Boulevard, V6T 1Z1
Pricing: $4.06 per hour — maximum $22.12 (daytime/evening)
Directions

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All REDI events are open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Program at a Glance

8:00 am | Check-in & Light Breakfast
Arrival, registration, and seating. Light breakfast provided.

8:45 am | Process & Housekeeping
Overview of the day, accessibility notes, and introductions to the support team and volunteers.

9:00 am | Opening Ceremony
The day begins in a good way with a traditional prayer chant to welcome Ancestors.

Territorial welcome by Elders Dr. Larry Grant and Georgina Grant, welcoming participants to Musqueam territory.

Opening facilitation and introductions by Derek Thompson Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, with support from Madison Tardif.

Introductions and coordination support by Jack Thompson Jr. (Hiawatsiid) and Bobby Durocher (SipkʷanɁis).

Morning Program
Reflections on the purpose, cultural protocols, and intent of the gathering, followed by a honouring ceremony centred on grief, remembrance, and community care, including recognition of Dr. Shane Pointe.

Elders Dr. Larry Grant and Georgina Grant welcome guests to the Musqueam territories, with Georgina present to honour her late brother, Dr. Shane Pointe.

Introduction of audience witnesses who will support the oral memory of the day.

12:00 pm | Lunch (Provided)
Lunch is provided for all participants at no cost. Refreshments available throughout the day.

1:00 pm | Speaker Dialogue
Moderated conversation with invited speakers Dr. Evan Adams and Joe Gallagher.

Facilitated by Derek Thompson Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun and Madison Tardif.
Guided questions are provided in advance. There is no audience Q&A or open comment period.

Afternoon Reflection & Conversation
Continued dialogue on lived experience, truth, reconciliation, and shared learning.

3:30 pm | Closing Ceremony
Reflections from facilitators and audience witnesses.

Acknowledgements of Elders, speakers, organizers, volunteers, and support teams.

Closing carried by Derek Thompson Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Bobby Durocher (SipkʷanɁis), and Jack Thompson Jr. (Hiawatsiid) with a traditional closing song.

4:00 pm | Event Concludes

Detailed Program

The program is intended to show and convey the value and goodness of doing this important work with the use of First Nations culture, ceremony and spirituality. We will be using our traditional songs, prayer chants and cultural processes to welcome our Ancestors, and to anchor ourselves in a spirit of purpose, dignity and healing. We have been intensely mindful and respectful of the speakers that have agreed to talk about and share their experiences and perspectives.

The program outlines the day’s sequence of proceedings, and is generally customary in many BC First Nation communities when doing important cultural and ceremonial work. The program is not set to a standard western academic schedule. The event will begin at 9:00 am and aim to conclude at 4:00 pm, and lunch will be provided at about 12:00 pm with refreshments provided throughout the day for all of those in attendance. There is no cost for this event, and the food will be provided for everyone because it is also important to nourish the body while nurturing our minds and hearts.

It is important to be aware of how you are feeling throughout the event and to be aware of the need to be mindful, respectful and dignified with the speakers and with each other. Listening and participating in these important conversations about the context of truth and reconciliation is both difficult and unfamiliar for many of us, and particularly for those in the audience who are Indigenous – First Nations, Inuit, Métis. Similar to the virtual Indigenous Speakers Series sessions, this event will not include a Q&A or open comment period for the audience.

8:00 am | Check-in & light breakfast

Kindly arrive early and check-in, and to be seated and ready to start promptly at 9:00 am.

8:45 am | Process & Housekeeping

The day is scheduled from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, and will follow a focused and orderly progression. The event is both in-person and live-stream. Refreshments and lunch are provided for those attending in-person. There are accessible washrooms onsite.

We will introduce the great good people who are volunteering to support the day’s work.

9:00 am | Begin

Open the Event in a Good Way

The day will begin with a traditional prayer chant to call upon and seat our Ancestors, and for them to dignify us with their presence and to dignify the important work of the day.

Derek will introduce Jack Thompson Jr. – Hiawatsiid and Bobby Durocher – SipkʷanɁis.

Jack will introduce Elders, Dr. Larry Grant and Georgina Grant, to welcome us to Musqueam territory.

Musqueam | xʷməθkʷəy̓əm – A Living Culture

We are grateful to welcome Elders, Dr. Larry Grant and Georgina Grant, to welcome all of us to the majestic territories of the Musqueam Nation. Georgina – Auntie Gina is sister to my late uncle, Dr. Shane Pointe, and I have invited her to bear witness in honoring the memory of her late brother and my uncle.

Introductions & Warm Greetings

Derek Thompson Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun and Madison Tardif will be facilitating the session and moving us along in a good way.

On behalf of his community, and on behalf of Indigenous – First Nations, Inuit, Métis – peoples, Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun will welcome our esteemed Elders and speakers, and offer our sincere gratitude for their participation.

Warm Greetings from Madison Tardif, A/Associate Director
Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Madison Tardif will provide a welcoming address to the Elders and speakers, and to the audience.

She will introduce Dr. Evan Adams and Joe Gallagher.

Speakers Introductions

The esteemed speakers, Dr. Evan Adams and Joe Gallagher, will have an opportunity to introduce themselves in the afternoon to the in-person and live-stream audience.

We Do This Work With Purpose

Derek will talk about the purpose of the event and speak to the importance of doing cultural work, and he will also speak about the courage and resiliency of the speakers who have agreed to come together to share their personal experiences and perspectives.

Bearing Witness to Important Work

We will call on four witnesses from the audience and explain what their roles are throughout the day. Bearing witness to important cultural work serves as our memory and to uphold our oral traditions.

Honoring Ceremony

The act of acknowledging those in our presence who are grieving and hurting is intended to honor the balance between life and death, joy and grief and the fleeting moments of meaning and insignificance. Grief and grieving are as fundamental to living as life itself. Before we do anything of a serious matter we always surround those who are grieving with love, care and attention.

This ceremony will honor and acknowledge the great good memory and work of Dr. Shane Pointe, and his sister, Georgina (Gina) Grant, has been invited as an honored guest along with her daughter, Allison Brown, and her husband, Dr. Larry Grant. My Uncle Shane was always supportive of me and my work with the Indigenous Speakers Series, and he was my most significant mentor throughout my life.

Derek will be speaking about this important ceremonial work within the context of the Indigenous Speakers Series so that there is a better understanding of who we are and where we come from.

12:00 pm | Lunch

Lunch will be provided for everyone in attendance, and there is no cost.

12:45 pm | Getting Ready to Resume

Kindly get ready to start promptly at 1:00 pm.

1:00 pm | Meaningful Conversation with the Speakers

Derek and Madison will be supporting each other as moderators for this important conversation, and will be facilitating the session and moving us along in a good way.

A set of key questions has been developed and sent to the speakers ahead of today’s event. This is done so that the speakers, the people here today sharing their experiences and perspectives, feel safe and supported to participate in these meaningful conversations. There will be no unexpected or surprising questions, and the speakers do not have to answer any questions that they don’t feel comfortable answering.

It is important to be aware of how you are feeling throughout the event and to be aware of the need to be mindful, respectful and dignified with the speakers and with each other. Listening and participating in these important conversations about the context of truth and reconciliation is both difficult and unfamiliar for many of us, and particularly for those in the audience who are Indigenous – First Nations, Inuit, Métis. Much like the virtual Indigenous Speakers Series sessions there will not be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions or make any comments.

3:30 pm | Conclusion

Derek will provide a summary of the day and of the meaningful conversations, and reflect on the importance of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Jack will call the four witnesses to reflect on the day’s event.

Madison will reflect on the session and thank the speakers, and also thank the in-person audience and the live-stream viewers for joining today. She will thank the helpers behind the scenes, the great good support of UBC MedIT, and Mary Kostandy, Digital Content and Engagement Strategist who is instrumental in creating the content for the webpage for the Indigenous Speakers Series. A special acknowledgment will be given to Brian Fukushima, Administrative Coordinator, who was tireless in his efforts to coordinate this important event.

Derek, Bobby and Jack will sing a traditional song to bring the event to a close.

Speaker Bio

**Dr. Evan Tlesla Adams, MPH, D.Litt. (VIU), Hon. F (DC), D.Litt. (TRU),
Member of the Tla’amin First Nation**

Evan Tlesla Adams is a Coast Salish physician and actor from the Tla’amin First Nation near Powell River, B.C. He is perhaps best known for his role as Thomas Builds-the-Fire in the Miramax film Smoke Signals.

Dr. Adams completed his Doctor of Medicine at the University of Calgary and a residency in the Aboriginal Family Practice program at UBC in Vancouver. He holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Adams served as the Deputy Provincial Health Officer for B.C. (2012–2014), the Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations Health Authority (2014–2020), and the Deputy Chief Medical Officer of the First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Indigenous Services Canada (2020–2023).

He was a Harkness Fellow (2024–25) at the John A. Burns School of Medicine in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, and is currently the Assessment Lead for the National Circle for Indigenous Medical Education (NCIME) in Canada. On a personal note, Evan is married to Allan, and they have six children.

Proud Partner & Father
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Public Health, First Nations Health Authority
Assessment Lead, The National Circle for Indigenous Medical Education
Acting Associate Dean, Indigenous Health, SFU School of Medicine
Clinical Assistant Professor, Clinical Faculty, School of Population and Public Health, UBC Faculty of Medicine
Host – The Conversation Docuseries
2024–25 Canadian Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, First Nations & Inuit Health Branch, Health Canada, Indigenous Services Canada (2020–23)
Chief Medical Officer, First Nations Health Authority (2014–20)
Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Aboriginal Health, BC Ministry of Health (2012–14)
TD Insurance Spotlight on Achievement Award, Foundation for Advancing Family Medicine, The College of Family Physicians of Canada
King Charles III Coronation Medal | Contributing to and leading Indigenous public health and amplifying Indigenous voices (2024)
Indspire Award, Health | Indspire – Indigenous Education, Canada’s Future (2014)
Gemini Award for Best Performance or Host in a Variety Program or Series (2011)
Independent Spirit Award for Best Debut Performance – Smoke Signals (1999)
Best Actor – American Indian Film Festival (1999)
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Film – First Americans in the Arts (1999)

Joe Gallagher – k’ʷunəmɛn,
Vice President, Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety, Provincial Health Services Authority,
Member of the Tla’amin First Nation

Joe Gallagher guides the further development and evolution of PHSA’s Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety Strategy, leads the delivery of cultural safety and humility education, and supports PHSA’s Indigenous Health and Human Resources Plan.

Joe is Coast Salish from the Tla’amin First Nation and has made extraordinary contributions to B.C.’s health-care system over the course of his career. He was the founding Chief Executive Officer of the First Nations Health Authority—the first and only health authority of its kind in Canada—and served as CEO from 2009 to 2019. Prior to this role, Joe held senior leadership positions in several governmental and First Nations organizations, working in areas such as health care, community development, economic development, and intergovernmental affairs.

A recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal, Joe holds an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) from the University of Victoria and has provided executive-level consulting support to B.C. health regulatory colleges and other institutions as they work to address Indigenous-specific racism and advance cultural safety and humility in health-care settings. He also co-authored Now You Know Me: Seeing the Unhidden Truth in Settler Colonialism, received a Leadership in Quality Award from Health Quality BC, and most recently was honoured with the Trail Blazer Award from Native Education College.

Vice President, Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety, Provincial Health Services Authority
Co-Author, Now You Know Me: Seeing the Unhidden Truth in Settler Colonialism (2025)
Founding Chief Executive Officer, First Nations Health Authority (2009–2019)
Senior leadership roles, B.C. government and First Nations organizations
Executive consultant to health regulatory colleges and institutions
Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD), University of Victoria
King Charles III Coronation Medal
Leadership in Quality Award, Health Quality BC
Trail Blazer Award, Native Education College

Description

Written by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun , Director, Indigenous Engagement

Dr. Evan Adams is a household name in Indian country, and his alias Thomas Builds-The-Fire captured our collective attention and imagination with his catchphrase, “Hey Victor!” This simple phrase reignited deeper conversations in our communities about who we are and where we come from, of storytelling, memory, reconciliation, and the irony and sincerity of our relationships to one another as Indigenous peoples. Evan and his extraordinary determination are an equal measure of inspiration and admiration for First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Indigenous peoples to take up the call in coming to terms with each other, to heal with each other, to hold each other up, and to anchor our identities to a meaningful purpose.

Dr. Adams has been instrumental in creating and leading processes of transformative change in health systems and related services for Indigenous peoples. He has been key in advising leadership in BC, Canada and around the world about how to prioritize and advance Indigenous health and related services. Evan is instrumental in leading The Conversation, an empowering docuseries where substance use survivors, their families and friends, engage in a raw and emotive conversation about their life, addiction, and how they found a pathway to healing.

Joe Gallagher was instrumental in leading the development and implementation of the BC First Nations Health Authority, and has inspired other health systems to transform health and related services to better serve the needs of BC First Nations and Indigenous peoples. He is co-author of the successful publication, Now You Know Me, a personal and reflective insight into reconciliation between himself and longtime friend, John Matterson. Joe is the Vice President, Indigenous Health and Cultural Safety at the Provincial Health Services Authority and he continues to inspire transformative change across the province for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

We are honored and thrilled to welcome Dr. Evan Adams and Joe Gallagher to the Indigenous Speakers Series for this inspiring and insightful conversation. We’ll talk about their lives and the pride they have for their families and community of ɬaʔəmen – Tla’amin Nation, and how their respective careers have emboldened us as Indigenous people to define the significance of empowerment, pride and resilience within the context of health and reconciliation. We will talk about what they’re currently doing and what they have planned for the future, and what the past has meant for them in an era of telling our many truths and reconciling the many relationships in our lives, as Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

**Arlene’s Frybread is Magic!** Artwork by West Coast artist, Ray Sim | *Aa-Aats iḱ-nuk*

Description of Arlene’s Frybread is Magic! Artwork

This artwork was created by west coast artist, Ray Sim | Aa-Aats iḱ-nuk, and its rich symbolism tells the story of Arlene Joseph and her magic frybread. Acclaimed actor, Tantoo Cardinal, portrays the resilient and complex character, Arlene Joseph, in the movie Smoke Signals. Arlene is caught between the tension and anger of her son, Victor, and her estranged husband, Arnold, and with Thomas Builds-the-Fire braiding all of these stories together. Arlene’s character provides a deeply authentic look at the everyday strength, perseverance and healing found in Indigenous women. This beautiful design symbolizes the beauty and strength of family, belonging and healing amidst great adversity, and is underpinned by twin wolves – symbols of loyalty, the strength of family ties, intelligence, and working together.

This artwork was commissioned by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun , Director, Indigenous Engagement to honor the speakers, Dr. Evan Adams and Joe Gallagher, for the session Frybread Power: The Significance of Indigenous Empowerment, Pride & Resilience for Health as part of the Indigenous Speakers Series.

Moderator

Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement

What Will I Learn?

You will learn from a unique perspective on what it means to lead transformative change in relation to health systems transformation in the context of truth and reconciliation.

Continue Learning

“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Speakers Series here

Find REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

Cancelled | Recruiting and Supporting Indigenous Students into UBC’s Health Career Programs: Honouring the Journey, Inspiring the Future

Due to unforeseen circumstances, this event has been cancelled.

Join us on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, from 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM, for “Recruiting and Supporting Indigenous Students into UBC’s Health Career Programs: Honouring the Journey, Inspiring the Future.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we will have a conversation with James Andrew, Aisha Sallad, Meghan MacGillivray, Nadine Duke, Shannon Field, Ainsley Light and Rachel De Cicco. They will reflect on the 25-year journey of the Indigenous Doctor of Medicine (MD) Pathway, as well as efforts to recruit and support Indigenous students across other health professions, including Midwifery, Physical Therapy, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences. They will explore the impact of these pathways on Indigenous health education, and the generations of Indigenous physicians and health professionals who have helped shape medicine and care.

Topic | Recruiting and Supporting Indigenous Students into UBC’s Health Career Programs: Honouring the Journey, Inspiring the Future

Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Live Stream & Recording | Register to receive the webcast link or access to the recording after the event.

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All REDI events are open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Speaker Bio

James Andrew – Líl̓wat Nation
Associate Director, Indigenous Initiatives, Office of the Vice Dean, Education, UBC Faculty of Medicine

James Andrew, a member of Lil’wat Nation, has been with the University of British Columbia (UBC) just over 30 years. Twenty-26 of those years has been with the Faculty of Medicine as the Indigenous Student Initiatives Manager where his role was to recruit and support the Indigenous medical students thru the Indigenous Pathway. The pathway has graduated a over 160 Indigenous physicians. In 2023, he received the inauguration the Indigenous Health Advocacy Award from the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada, Honorary Medical Alumni Award from UBC’s Medical Alumni Association, and the 2023 LIMElight Award: Excellence in Indigenous Student Recruitment, Support and Graduation from the Leaders in Indigenous Medical Education (LIME) Network. James is currently the Associate Director of Indigenous Initiatives in the Office of the Vice Dean, Education, Faculty of Medicine where he works with the other health profession programs on Indigenous health initiatives.

Aisha Sallad
Midwifery Student Services Manager & Advisor

Aisha joins UBC Midwifery after working with UBC Go Global in various roles, most recently as an Associate Advisor. She has provided high-level support for various Go Global programs, including Inbound and Outbound Exchange, Global Seminars, and the Visiting International Research Students (VIRS) program.

Aisha was an executive member of the UBC Black Caucus in 2023. The UBC Black Caucus promotes community, progress, and support for Black students, staff, and faculty at UBC. In this role, she advocated for the safety, well-being, academic and professional development of Black individuals and supports recruitment, mentorship, retention, and advancement opportunities for Black students at UBC.

Meghan MacGillivray – Métis Nation
Indigenous Student Initiatives Manager, MD program

Meghan MacGillivray is a member of the Métis Nation of British Columbia and the Manitoba Métis Federation, with Métis roots in the Red River Settlement. She has worked with the UBC Faculty of Medicine since 2019, and has been in her current role as the Indigenous Student Initiatives Manager for the MD Program since 2022. In her role, she manages the Indigenous MD Admissions pathway, overseeing outreach to prospective Indigenous applicants and providing applicant support for Indigenous students who are ready to apply to the MD Program. Once admitted to the program, Meghan also provides support for Indigenous medical students so that they feel connected to culture and community throughout their medical school journey. She is grateful to work with a provincial team of Indigenous Initiatives Coordinators to ensure these supports are available for current and prospective Indigenous students around BC.

Nadine Duke,
Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Manager, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Nadine Duke – Dehcho Dene
Indigenous Strategic Initiatives Manager, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Nadine Duke is the Indigenous strategic initiatives manager in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Nadine is Dehcho Dene from Fort Simpson, NWT. Nadine completed a BA in psychology at the University of Alberta. She joined Pharmaceutical Sciences in May 2023 and is honoured to have the opportunity to help Indigenous pharmacy students with their journey. Nadine loves to run and hike in North Vancouver. If she is not out running, she is at home with her dog Freya.

Shannon Field – Red River Métis
Indigenous Initiatives Manager, Department of Physical Therapy

Shannon Field (MSc.) is Red River Métis and mixed European. Shannon grew up on the beautiful ancestral, unceded lands of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓speaking Musqueam people in Richmond, BC. Professionally, she has worked as a kinesiologist and worked in various government and health authority offices in the area of Indigenous health. She currently works as the Indigenous Initiatives Manager for the UBC Department of Physical Therapy, where she supports current and prospective Indigenous students, promotes education on anti-racism and Indigenous cultural safety, and advocates for the program to be more inclusive of Indigenous knowledges, histories, and experiences.

Ainsley Light – Cree and Métis
Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) student, Faculty of Dentistry

Ainsley Light is a Cree and Métis woman currently living in Musqueam territory. Ainsley grew up in Kiʔláwnaʔ (Kelowna) and completed her Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biochemistry at UBC Okanagan. Ainsley is currently working towards her Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree at UBC Vancouver. Ainsley is seeing the lack of Indigenous representation in healthcare, especially dentistry, and is aiming to create more opportunities and awareness throughout the faculty and profession. Ainsley enjoys beading, playing volleyball, and being with friends and family during her free time.

Rachel De Cicco– Métis Nation
Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) student, Faculty of Dentistry

Rachel DeCicco is a proud citizen of Métis Nation British Columbia. She is a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) student at UBC Faculty of Dentistry, and the DMD class of 2029 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Representative. Rachel is committed to advancing Indigenous equity and representation in research and healthcare. During her Bachelor of Science, Rachel completed a thesis project that aimed to establish conservation and sustainability research practices that were guided by Indigenous Ways of Knowing, and grounded in Traditional Knowledge. Now, during her DMD education, Rachel is a research student working to bring the voices of Indigenous Peoples into the oral healthcare model to improve the accessibility, cultural humility, and safety of dental care for Indigenous patients. In the past, Rachel participated as a member of the Port Coquitlam Anti-Racism and Discrimination Roundtable, and contributed to the development of Port Coquitlam’s first Anti-Racism Policy to be in effect in all municipal workplaces. When not in school, Rachel enjoys doing watersports like swimming and surfing, and spending time with her family and dog, Rosie.

Description

Written by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun , Director, Indigenous Engagement

For generations, First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples have faced barriers to entering, participating in and thriving within health professional education. Today, universities have an important responsibility not simply to recruit more Indigenous students, but to examine the environments into which Indigenous learners are being invited. Creating meaningful pathways into the health professions requires attention to the entire journey — from early outreach, recruitment and admissions to mentorship, financial and cultural supports, belonging, academic success, graduation and ultimately leadership within the health system.

This Indigenous Speakers Series panel brings together James Andrew, Aisha Sallad, Meghan MacGillivray, Nadine Duke, Shannon Field, Ainsley Light and Rachel De Cicco for a broad conversation about Indigenous student pathways across health-related academic and professional programs within the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry and Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Together, they will explore the work happening across programs and disciplines to create opportunities for Indigenous learners, strengthen relationships with First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities, and support students throughout their educational journeys.

The conversation will ask us to think beyond recruitment numbers alone. What does it mean to create an academic environment in which Indigenous students genuinely feel that they belong? How do we ensure that Indigenous learners are not expected to leave their identities, cultures, families or communities at the door when they enter university? And how can health professional education recognize Indigenous students not simply as learners entering existing systems, but as future practitioners, scholars, educators and leaders whose knowledge, experiences and relationships can help transform those systems?

At the heart of this conversation is a recognition that Indigenous student success is relational. It begins long before an application is submitted and continues long after a degree is conferred. It is shaped by relationships with families and communities, Indigenous faculty and staff, mentors, peers and the institutions themselves. Supporting Indigenous learners therefore requires more than individual programs or initiatives; it requires sustained institutional commitment, accountability and environments where Indigenous identity, knowledge and ways of knowing are respected as strengths.

Through the experiences and perspectives of our panelists, this session will consider what has been learned, where meaningful progress is occurring, where barriers remain, and what more is possible. It invites faculty, staff, students and health professionals to consider their own roles in widening pathways into health education and creating the conditions in which Indigenous learners can flourish. Ultimately, this is not only about increasing Indigenous representation within health professions. It is about supporting generations of Indigenous people who will become practitioners, researchers, educators, advocates and leaders — and whose presence and leadership will contribute to healthier Indigenous peoples, families and communities and to the transformation of health care more broadly.

Join Us Again Next Year — In Person

In 2027, the UBC Faculty of Medicine will mark an extraordinary milestone: 25 years of the Indigenous MD Pathway. The Indigenous Speakers Series is proud to announce that the UBC Faculty of Medicine Indigenous MD Pathway 25th Anniversary Gathering will take place in September 2027 as the fourth in-person, all-day event of the Indigenous Speakers Series. We will bring together the generations of the Indigenous MD Pathway — those who helped create it, Elders and community leaders who guided it, Indigenous physicians who walked it, current medical students who are continuing the journey, and young Indigenous people who may one day follow. Together, their voices will create a living history of Indigenous medical education at UBC, told not simply through institutional milestones, but through the stories and experiences of the people who made those milestones possible.

Moderator

Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement

What Will I Learn?

By the end of this session, participants will be able to identify opportunities and responsibilities across the Indigenous student journey — from outreach and recruitment through belonging, mentorship, academic success and leadership — and reflect on how health professional education can create environments in which First Nations, Inuit and Métis students are supported to thrive.

Continue Learning

“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Speakers Series here

Find REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

EDI Joint Interest Group

The EDI Joint Interest Group is a network for equity leads, EDI champions or any staff or faculty responsible for advancing or leading EDI initiatives in their unit, department, school or program. We meet monthly to discuss topics of interest.

Are you a faculty or staff member leading equity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization initiatives within your unit? Would you benefit from a community of practice to discuss common challenges you face in your role? Join our monthly EDI Joint Interest Group or Drop in for a Session. Please click on the meeting titles below to learn more and register to receive the Zoom link for a particular session.

You can subscribe to the EDI-JIG listserv to receive communications for all upcoming sessions. To subscribe, email LISTSERV@LISTS.UBC.CA with “subscribe EDI-JIG@LISTS.UBC.CA” in the body of your email (without any other content, including your signature). If you are having trouble subscribing, email redi.events@ubc.ca. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Upcoming EDI Joint Interest Group Monthly Topics:

2025-2026 Sessions

Supporting Learners Facing Microaggressions from Patients with Saleem Razack and Madison Tardif
May 11^th, 2026, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

This session focuses on how faculty and preceptors can recognize, respond to, and mitigate the impact of patient-to-learner microaggressions. Through examples and shared experiences, we will explore supportive strategies that uphold learner safety, dignity, and inclusion while ensuring high-quality patient care.

Register for May 11^th, 2026

Speakers:

Saleem Razack (He/Him),
Paediatric Intensivist, BC Children’s & REDI Senior Faculty Advisor

Saleem is a Senior Faculty Advisor in the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the Faculty of Medicine. In his role, Saleem advises on strategy related to the implementation of a comprehensive anti-racism plan for the Faculty. He aims to serve in and contribute to the vibrant and diverse community within the Faculty of Medicine and its associated clinical and research sites.

Madison Tardif (She/Her/Hers)
Equity Advisor, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Madison Tardif is an Equity Advisor at the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) within the Faculty of Medicine. In her capacity at REDI, offers strategic guidance and supports capacity-building for department heads, faculty, staff, and students who are dedicated to implementing decolonization, anti-racism, and inclusive practices.

Madison’s journey into this field was influenced by her own multiracial background, sparking her exploration of identity, power dynamics, privilege, and systems of oppression. While pursuing her graduate degree at the University of Toronto, she delved deeper into the realms of community engagement, systems change, and decolonization. Her research primarily revolved around policy and decision-making within Indigenous self-governments, providing her with profound insights into leadership, community-centered decision-making, and decolonial approaches to governance. This research also played a pivotal role in her work with the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation at Westbank First Nation, where she contributed to the development of policy for the Intergovernmental Affairs and Title and Rights department. This experience underscored the significance of Indigenous sovereignty and the right to self-determination, shaping her passionate commitment to human rights, community-building, justice, conflict engagement, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and anti-racism.

In her previous role at the Equity and Inclusion Office, Madison actively supported the establishment of staff and faculty affinity spaces, the enhancement of hiring standards at the faculty and unit levels, and the creation of educational resources and workshops aimed at empowering historically, persistently, and systemically marginalized (HPSM) groups within UBC. Before joining UBC, Madison served at BC Cancer as the Prostate Cancer Supportive Care Coordinator, where she oversaw prostate cancer patient support for the BC Interior region. Through this experience, she gained firsthand knowledge of how patient-centered and holistic approaches to support can empower HPSM individuals to advocate for themselves and their well-being.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Madison enjoys mountain biking, spending time outdoors with her dog, savoring live music, relishing delicious cuisine, and fostering a sense of community.

Madison is grateful to be a guest on the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation.

Meeting Diverse Accessibility Needs in Clinical Training with Bonita Sawatzky, Maï Yasué, and Saleem Razack
Feb 23^rd, 2026, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

Join us for a conversation on how to proactively and responsively support residents with a wide range of accessibility needs in clinical learning environments. We will discuss common challenges, share promising practices, explore tensions, and consider everyday approaches that promote equity and belonging for diverse learners.

Register for Feb 23^rd, 2026

Speakers:

Bonita Sawatzky (She/her),
Associate Professor;
Director of READI (Respect, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion) for the Department of Orthopeadics

Bonita Sawatzky, an Associate Professor of Orthopaedics, was an ICORD principal who worked in spinal cord injury research as a clinical biomechanist for 25 years studying primarily wheeled mobility in spinal cord injury with over 100 publications. She has closed her biomechanics lab to become the Director of READI (Respect, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion) for the Department of Orthopeadics at the University of British Columbia. She recently was awarded the Canfield Scholar for Patient Engagement in Health Education with CHES and PCPE. She is a dedicated teacher in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, working with medical students, residents and graduate students. She has always encouraged the patient’s voice in her own research work, inviting patients to be collaborators, co-researchers and authors.

Maï Yasué (She/her),
Associate Director, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Maï is the Associate Director of the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the Faculty of Medicine. She provides leadership to the REDI team in the development and delivery of our education and training programming. She collaborates with leaders in departments, centres, and administration units, and staff, and faculty to identify institutional and individual barriers to inclusion and to foster long-term socio-cultural change towards justice, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII). Previously, she worked at the Equity & Inclusion Office at UBC, where she led initiatives such as the JEDII STEM Series and the IBPOC STEM Network and supported the integration of the JEDII principles into teaching, research, and faculty and staff recruitment. Prior to her work at UBC, she was a faculty member at Quest University Canada for over a decade, teaching interdisciplinary courses in conservation and geography and advocating for transparency, equity, and inclusion through various leadership roles.

Maï, a second-generation immigrant from Japan, holds an MSc in Zoology from the University of Oxford and a PhD in Geography from the University of Victoria. As an interdisciplinary scholar, she has published over 40 articles in academic fields such as conservation, geography, zoology, education, behavioral ecology, economics, and psychology. She is grateful for having spent most of her life on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and Stó:lō Nations.

Saleem Razack (He/Him),
Paediatric Intensivist, BC Children’s & REDI Senior Faculty Advisor

Inclusive Professionalism in Practice with Maï Yasué, and Saleem Razack
Jan 19^th, 2026, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

This session builds on the ideas introduced in the It Starts With Us session, Inclusive Professionalism in Medicine, by digging into real scenarios that surface everyday tensions around “professionalism.” In this hands-on session, we will engage in discussions that help us apply these inclusive professionalism principles within our educational programs and consider what it means to create spaces where people can show up as their whole, authentic selves.

Register for Jan 19^th, 2026

Speakers:

Maï Yasué (She/her),
Associate Director, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Saleem Razack (He/Him),
Paediatric Intensivist, BC Children’s & REDI Senior Faculty Advisor

Beyond punishment: A Motivational Framework for Addressing JEDI-Related Conflicts with Maï Yasué, and Madison Tardif
Dec 15^th, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

In this session, we will explore how we can address JEDII-related conflicts through decolonial, restorative, and relational approaches that foster healing, accountability, and meaningful institutional learning.

Register for Dec 15^th, 2025

Speakers:

Maï Yasué (She/her),
Associate Director, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Madison Tardif (She/Her/Hers)
Equity Advisor, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Outside of her professional endeavors, Madison enjoys mountain biking, spending time outdoors with her dog, savoring live music, relishing delicious cuisine, and fostering a sense of community.

Madison is grateful to be a guest on the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation.

Exploring AI Through an Equity Lens: Conversation about opportunities, Risks, and Realities in Academic Medicine with Alexandra Chen, Governance, Strategy and Planning Manager in Digital Solutions & Grainne McElroy, Deputy Chief Information Officer
Nov 17^th, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping how we teach, hire, evaluate, provide care, and advance equity and inclusion across the Faculty of Medicine. As EDI leads, many of us are beginning to see both opportunities and challenges — from improving accessibility, efficiency, and reducing bias to addressing concerns about data ethics, the erosion of human relationships, and inequities in automated decision-making.

This EDI JIG facilitated by Alexandra Chen (She/They), Governance, Strategy and Planning Manager in Digital Solutions & Grainne McElroy (She/her), Deputy Chief Information Officer, invites participants to learn from one another about how AI is shaping our work, the possibilities it brings, and the risks it poses for historically, systemically, and persistently marginalized groups. Together, we’ll explore how to navigate these changes thoughtfully and collaboratively so that emerging technologies strengthen, rather than undermine, our commitments to equity and inclusion.

Register for Nov 17^th, 2025

Alexandra Chen (she/they),
Manager, Digital Solutions, FoM

Alexandra Chen (she/they), is a Manager at the UBC Faculty of Medicine Digital Solutions, merging their business analysis background with a focus on strategic planning and governance. Outside of work, Alex volunteers on non-profit boards related to media arts or community building. And when they’re not doing that, you can find them playing with their dog Juno and reading memoirs and science-fiction books.

Grainne McElroy (she/her),
Chief Information Officer, FoM

Grainne McElroy (she/her) is the Chief Information Officer for the Faculty of Medicine at UBC, where she leads digital strategy, technology operations, and cybersecurity across the Faculty. Starting out in life as an engineer, her long career in IT has spanned engineering, transportation, global food production and higher education.

Mother of two grown and (almost) flown daughters, on the weekends you can find her forest bathing or trail running in the Pacific Spirit Park.

Breaking Down Silos: Connecting over EDI Journeys with Madison Tardif
Oct 20^th, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

An informal conversation to connect with colleagues on your unit’s EDI journey. Bring questions about actioning EDI, share updates on what you’re working on this year, and reflect on achievements you’re proud of and challenges you’ve faced. Together, we’ll exchange stories and strategies, and explore ways to collaborate and inspire action.

Register for Oct 20^th, 2025

Speaker:

Madison Tardif (She/Her/Hers)
Equity Advisor, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

Outside of her professional endeavors, Madison enjoys mountain biking, spending time outdoors with her dog, savoring live music, relishing delicious cuisine, and fostering a sense of community.

Madison is grateful to be a guest on the territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and the Syilx (Okanagan) Nation.

Not Just a One-Off: Weaving Anti-Oppression, Indigenization & Decolonization into Curriculum in the FoM with Maï Yasué
Sep 15^th, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

Welcome back! Join us for the first EDI Leads session of the academic year—a space to reconnect, reflect, and re-energize. This session will focus on practical strategies for embedding anti-oppression, Indigenization, and decolonization into both clinical and classroom teaching across the Faculty of Medicine. Together, we’ll explore a new draft resource designed to support curriculum and learning environment change. Come ready to share your ideas, questions, and lived experiences, and build community with fellow EDI change-makers across FoM.

Register for Sep 15^th, 2025

Speaker:

Maï Yasué (She/her),
Associate Director, Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

2024-2025 Sessions

Calling In vs. Calling Out: Navigating Accountability with Compassion with Mary Kostandy
June 2^nd, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

In the lead-up to the June 10 symposium featuring Loretta Ross—author of Calling In—as our keynote discussant, this upcoming EDI JIG session will explore the difference between calling in and calling out.

Guest Speaker:

Mary Kostandy, PhD (she/her),
Digital Content and Engagement Strategist, REDI

Mary is the Digital Content and Engagement Strategist in the Faculty of Medicine Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Mary brings to this role her education and work experience, which lie at the intersection of Computer Science, Education, and Social Justice. She has a PhD in Educational Studies from UBC. Her doctoral research followed a digital movement of Egyptian teachers on Facebook using a social justice lens to analyze teachers’ calls for moral, material and legal justice. Mary’s MA is in International and Comparative Education, and her BSc is in Computer Science, both from the American University in Cairo (AUC), Egypt. Mary has extensive teaching experience. She worked as a sessional instructor in the UBC Faculty of Education Teacher Education Program (BEd) where she taught several courses including “EDST 401: Ethics and Teaching,” “EDST 403: Education, Knowledge and Curriculum,” “EDST 401: Education, School, and Social Institutions,” and “EPSE 310A: Assessment and Learning in the Classroom.”

Besides teaching, Mary led the Diverse Career Paths of Educational Studies (EDST) Alumni initiative which aimed to expand the notion of inclusion to include diverse career pathways. As the PI, Mary worked with a team of faculty, staff, students and alumni to draw on Educational Studies alumni’s career experiences to support graduate students in exploring diverse careers.

Register for June 2nd, 2025

Fostering Inclusive Admissions in PGME with Special Guests Rebecca Howse, Rose Hatala & Saleem Razack
May 12^th, 2025, Session time: 12:30-2:00 PM PT (Zoom)

Rebecca Howse, Rose Hatala, and Saleem Razack, REDI Senior Faculty Advisor, will join us for an informal and candid conversation facilitated by Maï Yasué, REDI Associate Director. We’ll explore inclusive practices in PGME admissions. Dr. Hatala will also share insights from her work in onboarding and supporting Indigenous fellows.

Guest Speakers:

Rebecca Howse (She/They), MD, CCFP,
Indigenous Health Curriculum Lead, UBC, Undergraduate Medical Education;
Anti-Racism, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Faculty Co-Lead, UBC PGME;
Family Physician, PCFSA Westshore Community Health Centre;
Addictions Physician and Pathway Co-Lead, FNHA Virtual Substance Use and Psychiatry Program

Rose Hatala (She/Her), MD, MSc, FRCPC,
Professor, Department of Medicine;
Director, Clinical Educator Fellowship, UBC;
Director, MHPE-Canada, Centre for Health Education Scholarship, UBC;
Former Associate Program Director, Internal Medicine Residency Training

Register for May 12th, 2025 (Note the different start time: 12:30)

Experiences Embedding the Indigenous Strategic Plan into FoM Units with Katherine Wisener, and Jennifer McKay
April 14^th, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PT (Zoom)

Katherine Wisener, Associate Director, Faculty Development, and Jennifer McKay, Instructional Designer, Faculty Development will share their experience integrating the Indigenous Strategic Plan into their unit. Maï Yasué, REDI Associate Director and session facilitator, will invite participants to discuss and reflect on experiences from their own units.

Guest Speakers:

Katherine Wisener, PhD (she/her),
Associate Director, Faculty Development

Katherine holds a PhD in Health Professions Education through Maastricht University where her research focused on how health professions programs can effectively support and motivate faculty who teach. She also holds an MA from UBC’s Faculty of Education. She is inspired by the thousands of faculty members who go above and beyond to teach learners in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, and is passionate about providing meaningful supports to help recognize their teaching efforts.

While “spare time” is rare with two young active sons, she loves trail running in BC’s beautiful mountains.

Jennifer McKay (she/her),
Instructional Designer, Faculty Development

Jennifer is an Instructional Designer with the Office of Faculty Development at UBC. She holds a B.A. in Socio-Cultural Anthropology and Sociology from the University of Toronto, and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Educational Technology (MET) at the University of British Columbia to explore her passions for eLearning, open-education, and incorporating Indigenous ways of knowing into course design. Her professional background includes program management, event coordination, and visual design. Jennifer strives to develop engaging, technology-enhanced learning resources for faculty development and health education through inclusive instructional design. Outside of her professional and academic pursuits, Jennifer enjoys video games, cooking, and making art.

Register for April 14th, 2025

Tough Times for EDI Work: Finding Opportunities in these Troubled Times with Special Guests Minelle Mahtani & Saleem Razack
March 10^th, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Minelle Mahtani, Chair of Canadian Studies, & former Senior Advisor to the Provost on Racialized Faculty, and Saleem Razack, REDI Senior Faculty Advisor, will join us for an informal and candid conversation facilitated by Maï Yasué, REDI Associate Director. We’ll discuss the challenges of doing EDI work, and explore strategies and approaches that can help us work toward creating change, practice self-care, and find ways to keep moving forward.

Pre-reading: How to Quit Your EDI Job in 10 Easy Steps by Minelle Mahtani

Register for March 10th, 2025

Human Rights and Systems Reform: Lessons Learned from Hale v UBCO with Special Guest Dylan Robinson
Feb 3^rd, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Dylan Robinson, Investigations Office, will share lessons learned from Hale v UBCO.

Please note that, due to unforeseen circumstances, Carly Stanhope, Director of Investigations, will no longer be able to join as a guest speaker.

Register for February 3rd, 2025

Q&A on the Learner Mistreatment Process
January 13^th, 2025, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, REDI Associate Director, and Robyn Campol, REDI Learning Environment Advisor, will co-facilitate a session on demystifying the Learner Mistreatment Process. In this session, they will share updates made to the Learner Mistreatment website and outline the most recently revised learner mistreatment process. They will address questions such as: What is the learner mistreatment process? How do learner disclosures contribute to a more inclusive learning environment? How do the roles of faculty, staff, and leaders intersect with this process? There will also be time to for questions and concerns from units about the process.

Register for January 13th, 2025

Supporting Connection, Capacity, and Choice During Challenging Disclosures
December 16^th, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, REDI Associate Director, and Madison Tardif, REDI Equity Advisor, will co-facilitate a session on how EDI leads, faculty, staff, and learners can support individuals seeking guidance in navigating challenging interpersonal situations related to equity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization. The session will explore strategies to validate experiences, de-escalate situations, and empower individuals to consider the range of options available to them.

Register for December 16^th, 2024

EDI in Research
November 18^th, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:00 PM PST, Office Hours: 2:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI, will facilitate a session on how to go beyond merely checking off a “diversity statement” and instead embed principles of equity, justice, decolonization, Indigenization, and inclusion into every stage of the research process—from formulating research questions to sharing results. Discover actionable strategies to embed EDI principles meaningfully in your work, ensuring that your research is inclusive and reflective of these principles.

Pre-reading | REDI Best Practices: Embedding EDI in Research

Register for November 18^th, 2024

Postponed to the Spring: Human Rights and Systems Reform: Lessons Learned from Hale v UBCO
Original Date: October 21^st, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:00 PM PST (Zoom)

This event has been postponed to the Spring. There is no session in October.
Carly Stanhope, Director of Investigations, Investigations Office, will share lessons learned from Hale v UBCO.

Departmental EDI Committees: Navigating Tensions and Opportunities
September 16^th, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:00 PM PST, Office Hours: 2:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI, will facilitate a session on the scope of departmental EDI Committees and provide a platform for sharing lessons learned from their initial years of operation. Whether you’re just starting out or have a well-established committee, this session is your chance to engage, and ask questions. Members of newer EDI committees will benefit from guidance on early challenges, while members of experienced EDI committees can share their insights and secrets to success.

Register for September 16^th, 2024

Trauma-informed practices
August 12^th, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:00 PM PST, Office Hours: 2:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Madison Tardif, Equity Advisor, REDI will lead a session on trauma informed practices.

Register for August 12^th, 2024

Facilitating short EDI sessions for your team
July 8^th, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:00 PM, Office Hours: 2:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI, will provide “train-the-trainer” support for the EDI leads within units to facilitate 5-10 minute EDI speed lessons for their units or teams. This could be suitable for the start of grand rounds, faculty, or team meetings and will help you embed EDI into your regular practices. For topic examples, refer to REDI Best Practices, REDI Grab ‘n’ Gos, and REDI Deep Dives.

Optional office hours after the session provides an opportunity to stay longer and ask questions in smaller group settings.

Register for July 8^th, 2024

2023-2024 Sessions

Tips and tricks for managing power dynamics in meetings
June 10^th, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:00 PM, Office Hours: 2:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI, will lead a session on inclusive chairing practices designed to mitigate power imbalances and enhance accessibility.

Optional office hours after the session provides an opportunity to stay longer and ask questions in smaller group settings.

Register for June 10^th, 2024

Strategies to motivate members of dominant groups to action EDI
May 13^th, 2024, Session time: 1:00-2:00 PM, Office Hours: 2:00-2:30 PM PST (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI, will facilitate a discussion on strategies for fostering autonomous motivation—behaving because one truly values and identifies with the behaviour, or finds it inherently satisfying—which is crucial for inspiring lasting change. In this session, we will explore key principles that can drive behavioural change in a self-sustained manner, even without external rewards or pressure.

Optional office hours after the session provides an opportunity to stay longer and ask questions in smaller group settings.

Register for May 13^th, 2024

Q&A Session
April 22^nd, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)

Maï Yasué, Associate Director, REDI, will facilitate an open-ended session featuring a Q&A format and small group discussions. Participants will have the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas and questions on various previously covered topics, including admissions, faculty hiring, conflict engagement, creating inclusive environments for historically marginalized groups, and tips for engaging others in EDI initiatives, as well as initiating action within EDI committees.

Register for April 22^nd, 2024

De-escalating intergroup conflicts
March 11^th, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)

Arun Mohan, Director of Human Rights at the Equity & Inclusion Office, will help answer questions about what EDI leads and unit heads can do to de-escalate intergroup conflict and provide support when there are global events and tragedies that affect the learning and work environments.

Register for March 11^th, 2024

Continuing our conversation on “inclusive excellence,” how do we pursue it in our hiring and recruitment processes?
Feb 12^th, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)

Questions that we might address include: How can we inclusively and equitably adjudicate excellence in hiring, selections, and award decisions? What are the most important changes in procedures that we can make to foster more inclusive and equitable selection processes? How do we best frame these changes in process or criteria to avoid backlash and support historically marginalized groups?

Our special guest for this session will be Saleem Razack, who is the Senior Faculty Advisor to the REDI Office. This session is a follow-up conversation from the January 2024 meeting with Saleem Razack and the November 2023 meeting with Catherine Macala.

How do we operationalize “inclusive excellence” in all the different adjudication/selection/awards decisions that we make?
Jan 8^th, 2024, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)

Questions that we might address include: If grades, volunteering experiences, journal impact factors, and student evaluations of teaching are sexist/ableist/racist, etc., then how do we inclusively and equitably adjudicate excellence in hiring, selections, and award decisions? What are the most important changes in procedures that we can make to have more inclusive and equitable selection processes? How do we best frame these changes in process or criteria to avoid backlash and support historically marginalized groups?

Our special guest for this session will be Saleem Razack, who is the Senior Faculty Advisor to the REDI Office and has extensive experience working within medical school admissions processes. This session is a follow-up conversation from the meeting in November 2023 that Catherine Macala (Associate Director MD Undergraduate Admissions) led about equity and inclusion considerations in the undergraduate admissions process.

How do we create supports for historically marginalized learners to thrive within the Faculty of Medicine?
Dec 11^th, 2023, 1:00-2:00 PM (Zoom)

In this session, we aim to discuss various initiatives within units in the FoM designed to support historically, persistently, and systemically marginalized groups. Specifically, Tal Jarus will talk about the mentorship program for learners with disabilities within Occupational Science and Therapy, as well as the Diversifying Health and Human Service Professions Education – D-HOPE Program. This program aims to support historically marginalized students in applying for Health Professions at UBC by providing resources and creating opportunities for mentorship and connection.

Inclusive Excellence & Students – Admissions, Student Awards
Nov, 2023 (Zoom)

“Broadening the Tent” – Inspiring others to get involved, getting buy-in from the broader unit
Oct, 2023 (Zoom)

Éyameth’ – Weaving Health Together: Reclaiming Indigenous Ways of Wellness, Leadership & Belonging

Join us on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM, for “Éyameth’ – Weaving Health Together: Reclaiming Indigenous Ways of Wellness, Leadership & Belonging.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we will have a conversation with Qwenot – Angela Paul, Executive Director of the Éyameth’ Health Centre. Angela will provide a tour of the Éyameth’ Health Centre and reflect on what health care can become when Indigenous peoples are able to design it according to their own knowledge, values, responsibilities, and aspirations.

Topic | Éyameth’ – Weaving Health Together: Reclaiming Indigenous Ways of Wellness, Leadership & Belonging

Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Live Stream & Recording | Register to receive the webcast link or access to the recording after the event.

Register

Share Your Feedback

All REDI events are open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Speaker Bio

Angela Paul– Qwenot, MBA
Executive Director, Éyameth’ Health Centre, Sts’ailes

Qwenot ~ Angela Paul‘s Bio

Angela Paul carries the ancestral name Qwenot. Her late mother was from Sḵwxwú7mesh and her late father is from Sts’ailes, and she is a proud mother and grandmother to Tsleil-Waututh children and grandchildren.

Angela is a Coast Salish weaver, scholar, and Indigenous health leader whose work is grounded in an understanding that health and wellness are deeply connected to culture, land, relationships, identity, and ancestral knowledge. She holds an MBA in Indigenous Business Leadership from Simon Fraser University and is currently pursuing her PhD in Arts Education.

For her MBA capstone, Angela designed and created a 10-foot Weaving Governance panel as part of her research into traditional laws of the land and Coast Salish weavings as Holders of Knowledge. Her weaving practice continues to inform her approach to leadership: bringing together people, knowledge systems, partnerships, and ways of knowing with integrity and responsibility.

Today, Angela is Weaving Wellness through her leadership with Éyameth’ Health Centre in Harrison Mills, British Columbia. She has been instrumental in championing the development of this innovative, Nations-led primary care initiative and its vision for transforming health and wellness by weaving together Indigenous knowledge and traditional approaches with Western medicine and contemporary primary care.

Through Éyameth’, Angela is helping advance a community-driven model of care rooted in relationships, cultural safety, collaboration, and the understanding that meaningful transformation in Indigenous health requires more than improving access to services. It requires creating space for Indigenous knowledge, leadership, and community priorities to shape the health system itself.

Across her work as a weaver, researcher, leader, mother, and grandmother, Angela carries a commitment to creating healthier pathways for the generations that follow.

Description

Written by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun , Director, Indigenous Engagement

We are excited to announce that this event will be the first-ever virtual session hosted in a BC First Nations community! I will be on-site at the Éyameth’ Health Centre in Sts’ailes territory for this special session, and have the incredible opportunity to engage in a meaningful conversation with Qwenot – Angela as she also provides a virtual tour of the health centre and staff.

For generations, First Nations peoples have understood that health is about far more than the treatment of illness. Health lives within our relationships — with family, community, culture, language, land, ceremony, identity and the generations who came before us. Long before hospitals, clinics and contemporary health systems existed on these lands, Indigenous peoples possessed sophisticated systems of knowledge about what it meant to care for one another and what was required for individuals, families and communities to live well. Colonization attempted to disrupt these systems, but it did not erase them.

I am honoured to welcome Qwenot – Angela Paul, Executive Director of the Éyameth’ Health Centre, for a conversation about what becomes possible when Indigenous peoples are not simply invited into existing health-care systems, but are empowered to imagine, lead and create health systems grounded in Indigenous knowledge, relationships and understandings of wellness. Éyameth’ means weaving health together in the Halq’eméylem language, and the newly opened Sts’ailes-led Health Centre represents the culmination of decades of vision, determination, community leadership and relationships.

For Angela, however, Éyameth’ is more than a building. Its story reaches across generations. As a teenager, she heard her father speak about restoring health and wellness and returning to the knowledge systems that have always helped Indigenous peoples remain well, whole and healthy. Decades later, standing within the completed Éyameth’ Health Centre, Angela witnessed that vision become something tangible — a place where contemporary medicine, Indigenous knowledge, traditional wellness and healing, primary care, mental health, Elder care and community relationships can exist together. The Centre asks us to consider a profound question: what might health care become when Indigenous peoples are able to design it according to their own knowledge, values, responsibilities and aspirations?

The story of Éyameth’ reminds us that reconciliation is not only about looking backward at what has been taken away. It is also about looking forward toward what Indigenous peoples are rebuilding, reclaiming and imagining for themselves. Like the strands of a Coast Salish weaving, those possibilities become stronger when they are brought together with care, purpose and responsibility. And perhaps that is one of the most important lessons Angela Paul and Éyameth’ offer us: the future of Indigenous health will not simply be found within the systems we have inherited — it will be woven from the knowledge, relationships, courage and dreams we choose to carry forward together.

Moderator

Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement

What Will I Learn?

By the end of this session, participants will be able to reflect on the significance of First Nations-led health care and Indigenous self-determination in transforming health systems; explore how culture, identity, traditional knowledge, relationships and community leadership contribute to wholistic wellness; and consider how the principle of Éyameth’ — weaving health together can inform our collective responsibilities toward cultural safety, reconciliation and a more equitable future for health care.

Continue Learning

“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Speakers Series here

Find REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

From Knowing to Doing: Reimagining Cultural Safety, Humility & Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Education

Please note that the event date has changed from December 15 to December 9.

Join us on Wednesday, December 9, 2026, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM, for “From Knowing to Doing: Reimagining Cultural Safety, Humility & Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Education.” In this Indigenous Speakers Series session, we will have a conversation with Mark Matthew, a member of the Simpcw First Nation and Director, Indigenous Health with Health Quality BC. Mark will reflect on the principles and purpose of A Refreshed Approach: Framework for Effective Cultural Safety and Humility and Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism Education and Training.

Topic | From Knowing to Doing: Reimagining Cultural Safety, Humility & Indigenous Specific Anti-Racism Education

Date: Wednesday, December 9, 2026

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM

Live Stream & Recording | Register to receive the webcast link or access to the recording after the event.

Register

Share Your Feedback

All REDI events are open to the public unless otherwise noted.

Speaker Bio

Mark Matthew, Simpcw First Nation
Director, Indigenous Health, Health Quality BC

Mark Matthew‘s Bio

Mark joined Health Quality BC in September 2022 and is the Director of Indigenous Health.

Mark Matthew grew up on the reserve of the Simpcw First Nation near Barriere, B.C. and has observed the consequences of colonization in his family, friends, and community. He continues to reflect on his unearned privilege of a white presenting male due to mixed parentage.

Mark’s career in health began in 2007 as the Aboriginal Contracts Advisor at Interior Health. Just over a year later he joined the FNHA as a Community Development Liaison and eventually took on the role of Acting Director of Community Engagement in 2011 supporting communication, collaboration, and planning and health with First Nations throughout BC. After nearly a decade working in engagement, he moved to a new Quality team at FNHA in 2019 as the Manager of Quality Initiatives and Partner Relations. Here he was able to support efforts like the revision of the BC Health Quality Matrix, BCs Standard on Cultural Safety and Humility and participate on an Indigenous Advisory Committee for Patient Centred Measurement and the Cultural Safety and Humility Complaints Collaborative. This work has given him the opportunity to explore various opportunities for change across the health system.

Mark continues to be motivated to pursue a career where he can be part of positive change in First Nations and Indigenous communities. He has been an effective facilitator, relationship builder and successful at finding the commonalities between the different realities faced by First Nations and non-Indigenous health leaders/providers.

Currently Mark lives on Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (Kamloops) with his wife and two kids. He likes to keep active and enjoys a good friendly competition for time to time.

Description

Written by Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun , Director, Indigenous Engagement

For many years, health-care organizations, educational institutions and health professionals across British Columbia have been learning about cultural safety, cultural humility and Indigenous-specific racism. Reports have been written, recommendations have been made, courses have been developed and commitments have been announced. Yet an important question remains: What should all of this learning actually change? In this important conversation, I am honoured to welcome Mark Matthew, a member of the Simpcw First Nation and Director, Indigenous Health with Health Quality BC, to explore A Refreshed Approach: Framework for Effective Cultural Safety and Humility and Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism Education and Training. Together, we will consider how education can move beyond awareness and understanding toward meaningful changes in behaviour, relationships, organizations and health systems.

The conversation will invite us to examine the distance between knowing and doing. Knowing about colonialism is important, but knowledge alone does not dismantle racism. Knowing the history of Indian residential schools does not automatically create culturally safe health care. And knowing the language of reconciliation does not necessarily change the experience of an Indigenous person entering a hospital, clinic or health-care relationship. Cultural safety and humility require continuing reflection on assumptions, biases, relationships and power, while Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism requires us to recognize and confront racism not only between individuals, but within policies, practices, institutional cultures and systems. A Refreshed Approach challenges us to ask whether our education is actually changing how we behave, how organizations exercise responsibility and, most importantly, how Indigenous peoples experience health care.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine Indigenous Speakers Series provides an important place for this conversation. Grounded in Indigenous voices, perspectives and oral traditions, the Series creates space for truth-telling, learning, dialogue and the advancement of reconciliation. Our conversation with Mark will ask us to move beyond the question, “What have we learned?” toward more difficult questions: What are we doing differently because of what we have learned? How are Indigenous peoples experiencing that difference? And how will we know that meaningful change has occurred? Because ultimately, the measure of Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism education cannot simply be how many people have completed the training. The measure must be whether Indigenous peoples experience something different because they did.

Moderator

Derek K Thompson – Čaabať Bookwilla | Suhiltun, Director, Indigenous Engagement

What Will I Learn?

By the end of this session, participants will be able to reflect on the principles and purpose of A Refreshed Approach: Framework for Effective Cultural Safety and Humility and Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism Education and Training; explore the distinction between awareness, learning, behavioural change and systemic transformation; and identify individual and organizational responsibilities for translating Cultural Safety and Humility and Indigenous-Specific Anti-Racism education into meaningful, measurable and sustained improvements in the experiences of Indigenous peoples within health care.

Continue Learning

“The time to make things happen is now. The time to seek out our individual and shared power is now.”

Discover more about REDI’s Indigenous Speakers Series here

Find REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

Research Voices from the Field with Katherine Collins, Kimberly Huyser and Michelle Johnson-Jennings

Research Voices from the Field is a new feature that showcases cutting-edge research that breaks barriers and promotes inclusion in medicine. Each edition spotlights a research publication and includes insights directly from the authors—revealing their motivations, the significance of their findings, and why the research matters for healthcare professionals everywhere.

In this edition, Dr. Katherine Collins, Dr. Kimberly Huyser and Dr. Michelle Johnson-Jennings reflect on their article “Planning for your CANOE (Circumspect Awareness and Navigation of Outcomes and Expectations) journey in community-engaged research with Indigenous communities” and share how the CANOE framework bridges the gap between the why of engaging Indigenous communities in research and the how of doing so responsibly.

Dr. Katherine Anne Collins

Dr. Katherine Anne Collins (PhD, H.B.Sc.) is a citizen of Métis Nation–Saskatchewan and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Health Studies at the University of Saskatchewan. She takes a social psychological approach to the study of sociocultural issues, including social bias and health inequity, with a particular emphasis on the roles of, and intersections between, language, culture, and identity.

Dr. Kimberly R. Huyser

Dr. Kimberly R. Huyser is a Professor of Sociology at the University of British Columbia. She is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and grew up on the Navajo reservation in Arizona, USA. The central intellectual motivation driving her research agenda is to gain a deeper understanding of the social conditions that undermine health, as well as to identify the cultural and social resources leveraged by racial and ethnic groups to further their individual and collective health and well-being.

Dr. Michelle Aihina Inkinsh Holhpokunna Johnson-Jennings

Dr. Michelle Aihina Inkinsh Holhpokunna Johnson-Jennings, PhD, is a Choctaw Nation enrolled tribal member. She is a Full Professor and Director of the Indian Country Child Trauma Center, Co-Lead of Maternal Child Health for the Native American Center of Cancer Health Excellence (NACCHE), and a Professor in Community Health and Epidemiology in Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan (UofS). She also serves as an Affiliate Associate Professor with the University of Saskatchewan, University of Colorado, and University of Washington. At UofS, Michelle holds the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Community Engaged Research and is a clinical health psychologist who brings a wealth of experience engaging Indigenous communities and a robust partnership network of Canadian and international contacts.

Over the years, Michelle has partnered with multiple international and national Indigenous nations, organizations, and communities to prevent both substance use and food addiction/obesity risks. To do so, she has co-developed health interventions rooted in ancestral guidelines to encourage a renewed commitment to health and the revitalization of medicine, food, and land-based practices.

Michelle’s research endeavors span the globe, from founding and formerly directing the Research for Indigenous Community Health (RICH) Center at the University of Minnesota to completing a U.S. Fulbright Scholar award to conduct research in New Zealand. Michelle received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in Counseling Psychology and a master’s from Harvard University in Human Development and Psychology and Contemporary Native Issues.

During the middle of the pandemic, we were sequestered together at a Vancouver hotel, as members of CoVaRR-Net, where we were tasked with developing meaningful approaches to community-engaged research under unprecedented circumstances. How were we to engage with community at a time when it would put our Elders at risk to meet in person? Over that period, we had numerous conversations about the complexities of community-engaged research, particularly the disconnect between the realities of building meaningful community partnerships and the assumptions or expectations often held by researchers with limited experiences in this approach. We discussed how researchers, without these experiences, sometimes held the expectation that you could simply just “do” community-engaged research with Indigenous communities with no reflection or intentionality about the community, the historical and ongoing context, or the potential for harm, etc.

Together, we have over 30 years of experience in community-engaged research. As Indigenous researchers who have worked alongside Indigenous communities and ally researchers, we were able to identify key considerations that should be addressed before initiating research with Indigenous communities. We envisioned research partnerships as a multi-day canoe journey, and all the mental preparation that it involves, and the metaphor stuck. Key to this metaphor is that the journey takes place on Indigenous land and waters, and how this type of work must shift the balance of power to which most researchers are accustomed. Before you begin, you must ask whether you should. We hope that the CANOE framework will serve as a bridge between “why one should do research with and by Indigenous communities” and “how to do community engaged research” to provide a set of principles for researchers to consider for themselves when embarking on a research journey with Indigenous communities.

Planning for your CANOE (Circumspect Awareness and Navigation of Outcomes and Expectations) journey in community-engaged research with Indigenous communities

Authors: Katherine A Collins, PhD, Prof Kimberly R Huyser, PhD & Prof Michelle Johnson-Jennings, PhD

Abstract

Community engagement has long been recognised as necessary for working with Indigenous communities. Although many researchers are excited to engage with communities and many articles describe the process of community engagement in research, almost none have addressed the foundational question of whether researchers should engage with Indigenous communities for research. In this Viewpoint, we will discuss the Circumspect Awareness and Navigation of Outcomes and Expectations (CANOE) approach, which describes what should be considered before embarking on a community-engaged research journey with Indigenous communities. We build on existing literature regarding understanding the need to recognise positionality, practise reflexivity, assess personal strengths and weaknesses, and consider abilities and skills that can be offered or promised to Indigenous partners. Our goal is to provide principles of being reflexive, intentional, and careful before launching into research with Indigenous communities. Drawing from our combined decades of experience as Indigenous, community-engaged scientists leading national and international community projects, we draw from the extant literature and lessons learned in the field to provide a guiding CANOE approach for community-engaged research. This Viewpoint provides researchers interested in community-engaged projects with the information they need to consider before embarking on their research journey. We provide a set of CANOE self-assessment questions designed to evaluate a researcher’s preparedness, suitability to invest in a research partnership, and adaptability to navigate a research journey with Indigenous communities. Not only should relationships be properly developed and nurtured, but researchers need to fundamentally understand their ability to develop research partnerships that prioritise Indigenous cultural worldviews and protocols in research design, development, testing, and implementation.

Have you’ve published or come across valuable research on the praxis of REDI in medicine? Share it today.

We especially welcome submissions of research articles that explore equity, diversity, inclusion, justice, decolonization, Indigenization, or trauma-informed practices in medicine and healthcare.

Parts Known & Unknown: Exploring the Borders of Truth, Reconciliation and Redress