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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 1st, 2022 and September 29th, 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

Discover REDI’s Indigenous-Specific Resources here

Welcome to REDI

Research Voices from the Field with Danièle Behn Smith, Jessica Chenery, Naomi Dove & Kate Jongbloed

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, Danièle Behn Smith, Jessica Chenery, Naomi Dove & Kate Jongbloed  reflect on their article book “Using a metaphor of baskets and copper pots to identify “what work, whose work” in truth, rights, responsibilities, and reconciliation in public health” and its relevance to any settler seeking to take up their role and responsibility in reconciliation.

Origin Story of the Basket & Copper Pot Metaphor

In 2022, the U&U team was invited by Jess and Naomi to present to BCCDC Leadership. Beforehand, we discussed a tension they faced: Chee Mamuk is a community serving, Indigenous-led public health program. Release of the In Plain Sight report resulted in skyrocketing requests for Chee Mamuk to advise on BCCDC’s other programs. While awesome that settler colleagues were committed to addressing Indigenous-specific racism, the avalanche of requests pulled Chee Mamuk away from their community-facing work. It also created stress for Indigenous staff with lived experience of Indigenous-specific racism who had not opted in to Indigenous-specific anti-racism diagnostic work when they accepted their roles at BCCDC.

Meanwhile, Danièle and Kate had been having a similar conversation: talking about how Danièle’s job title – Deputy Provincial Health Officer Indigenous Health – didn’t reflect all the time she was spending on helping settlers “fix themselves” and leading Indigenous-specific anti-racist transformation. We kept referring to “two different buckets of work.” 

As Kate was preparing slides for the BCCDC talk, her dad arrived from Holland with the copper pot that was her inheritance following her Oma’s death. The conversations we’d been having clicked and the basket/copper pot metaphor was born. After the presentation and those that followed, we heard from many settler colleagues that the metaphor helped them to have an “ah ha” moment and see their role in reconciliation.

Adding to the metaphor

In 2024, BCCDC hired its first ever Executive Director of Indigenous Health, held by Janene Erickson (Nak’azdli Whut’en). Janene brings her lived experience as a BC First Nations Woman along with her MPH from UBC SPPH, where she now teaches about Indigenous-specific racism and its impacts on health.

Janene differentiates Chee Mamuk’s “Basket Work” from her role as a “Copper Pot Coach.” A “Copper Pot Coach” is an Indigenous person who has agreed to work closely with settlers as they strengthen their capacity to identify and eradicate Indigenous-specific racism. What’s important is that Indigenous colleagues (and teams) determine for themselves if and how they engage with either these types of work, or neither.

Coming together to write the article

We wrote the paper, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health, because we were excited to share our experience as two “duos” – each made up of an Indigenous person (basket knowledge) and Settler person (copper pot responsibility). We also realized that our duos were in relationship in ways that reflected our emerging metaphor: Jess and Naomi were leading a team with a “basket work” mandate. Danièle and Kate were leading a “copper pot” project. We were able to work together to shift some of the copper pot burden off the shoulders of those focused on basket work.

For Chee Mamuk, copper pot work was never part of their mandate, but it got added on to their already full plate following the In Plain Sight report. We wanted to share our insights to help give language to conversations about “what work, whose work” in Indigenous rights, truth, and reconciliation that are being navigated across the country.

Kate JongbloedDanièle Behn Smith

Danièle Behn Smith,
Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Indigenous Health

Dr. Behn Smith is Métis from the Red River Valley and Eh Cho Dene from Fort Nelson First Nation. She has the honour and privilege of working as BC’s Deputy Provincial Health Officer, Indigenous Health. She works alongside Dr. Bonnie Henry and other team members at the BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer to uphold the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples, unlearn and undo systemic white supremacy and racism and advance true reconciliation.

Naomi Dove

Jessica Chenery
Director, Chee Mamuk, BC Centre for Disease Control

Indigenous ancestry is Coast Salish on Vancouver Island- Shíshálh and Penelakut First Nations as well as Portuguese and Scottish ancestry.  Jessica enjoys her work as the Director of Chee Mamuk (‘New Work’ in Chinook jargon), a self-determining Indigenous-led program within the BC Centre for Disease Control.

Jessica Chenery

Naomi Dove
Medical Lead, Chee Mamuk, BC Centre for Disease Control

Dr. Naomi Dove is a settler of British and Newfoundland descent raised on the territory of the Anishinaabe and Métis people of Treaty Three and Treaty 3 Adhesion in Northwestern Ontario. She is honoured and grateful to be invited in as a guest to work with the Chee Mamuk team as Medical Lead. 

Kate Jongbloed

Kate Jongbloed
Senior Scientist, U&U lab, BC Centre for Disease Control

I am a white occupier living on the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. I am an epidemiologist and mixed methods health researcher with 15+ years of experience documenting and responding to the impacts of settler colonialism on health and wellness. Recently, I completed a two-year CIHR Health Systems Impact Post-Doctoral Fellowship mentored by Dr. Danièle Behn Smith in the BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer. Now, I am a Senior Scientist at the BC Centre for Disease Control working to grow an “unlearning and undoing white supremacy and Indigenous specific racism lab” (U&U Lab) for population and public health in BC. Two of my other roles are Adjunct Professor at University of Victoria’s School of Public Health and Social Policy and Associate with Qoqoq Consulting Ltd.

Using a metaphor of baskets and copper pots to identify “what work, whose work” in truth, rights, responsibilities, and reconciliation in public health

Authors: Danièle Behn Smith, Jessica Chenery, Naomi Dove & Kate Jongbloed 

Abstract

Ten years since the Truth & Reconciliation Commission Report, Canadian institutions—including public health systems—have yet to advance the Calls to Action in a sustained, transformative way. As public health leaders in the territory now known as British Columbia, we witness tension as colleagues grapple with, “What is the work of Truth & Reconciliation? Whose work is it?”. Too often, truth and reconciliation is delegated to a small Indigenous team (or, individual) dangling, isolated off the side of an organizational chart. We offer a metaphor highlighting two interconnected, but distinct areas of work to advance truth and reconciliation in public health. One is the work of reclaiming and resurgence of languages, culture, medicines, and connection to territory, undertaken by and for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. The other is eradicating Indigenous-specific racism and white supremacy to advance cultural safety. It is not up to Indigenous people to eradicate racism; as it is constructed, maintained, and perpetuated by settlers, settlers are those with the power to eradicate it. As we move towards the anniversary of the TRC, we share a metaphor that helps our settler colleagues understand and claim their responsibility in truth, rights, and reconciliation in public health.



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.

On His Lonely Way Back Home: A Tribute to Dr. Shane Pointe

On His Lonely Way Back Home: A Tribute to Dr. Shane Pointe

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

On September 23rd, 2025, I was honoured to welcome Dr. David Suzuki and Dr. Shane Pointe to the Indigenous Speakers Series – The Nature of All Things Indigenous. An important aspect of the day was to honour and acknowledge the great good work of my uncle, Dr. Shane Pointe, who was the inaugural recipient of the Honorary Doctorate of Original Laws from the Native Education College.

We spent the morning in ceremony, and with the strength of our Ancestors I claimed my Uncle into my Tluukwaana— sacred society of supernatural wolves, I wrapped him in a ceremonial shawl and crowned him with a chiefly cedar-woven hat, and as my Auntie Mary and my sister Ida stood at his side my brothers, Bobby and Jack, and I sang my most chiefly song intended to invoke legendary and mighty sea serpents. The ceremony was full of wonder, beauty, significance, and purpose, and we all witnessed the power of our culture existing simultaneously in earthly and spiritual realms. My Uncle Shane spent his life, in every word and small action, to lead people on a journey of seeking truth, defining identity, reconciling for the future, and a determination for our people to live happy and meaningful lives. He worked in colonial spaces that simultaneously harmed and harms Indigenous people, but also in spaces that want to do right by our people. I was in awe of how he negotiated this paradox.

There’s not much more that can be said about my Uncle Shane that hasn’t been mentioned about his generosity, curiosity, humor, and his great love for people. He worked most of his life in service to people, helping people, uplifting people, uniting people, caring for people, and always with an intensity of compassion. My Uncle was funny and he liked to have fun, he was clever, and in many ways like a Raven – Qu?ušin would be in our oldest known Nuuchahnulth fables that often characterized the clarity and ambiguity of being human. He truly was, as the song goes, a walkin’ contradiction, partly truth and partly fiction, and takin’ every wrong direction on his lonely way back home.

I hold dearly and near to my heart a memory of my Uncle Shane talking with my late Mom as she was coming to terms with her own passing. He made a commitment to her to always support me in my chiefly role and that he would honour her by standing beside me and advising me to the best of his ability. They talked to each other with sincerity, love, and amidst profound sadness he would make her laugh and smile adding, “I’ll make sure that he behaves himself.” It was the last time they would see each other, and the last time we would all see my beautiful and brilliant Mom.

It feels as though the very foundations that held me up my entire life have faded away. I know that I am by every measure the person I am today because of my Uncle Shane, and I am anchored to all that is good and decent because of my Mom, Maude Thompson (nee Shaw)

I am filled with, I don’t know, I suppose I am feeling alone and lonely now that my Uncle Shane is gone, I suppose I feel empty. I don’t know what or how to feel, and in many ways I am still coming to terms with the loss of my Mom. It feels as though the very foundations that held me up my entire life have faded away. I know that I am by every measure the person I am today because of my Uncle Shane, and I am anchored to all that is good and decent because of my Mom, Maude Thompson (nee Shaw). I will call on them with my most sacred prayer chants and I will ask them to come and be with me, to dignify me with their spirits, and to always guide me with their love and devotion.

When my Mom was passing she said to us that we always need to be good to each other, and she repeated those words as she was fading away, always be good to each other. At the conclusion of the session on September 23rd, my Uncle Shane said that we need to learn how to love each other and we need to teach our grandchildren how to love and accept each other. There is greatness discovered in this simple advice and to experience profound truth in being good to each other, in loving each other, and in teaching our descendants to love and accept each other.

Research Voices from the Field with Maï Yasué

Research Voices from the Field with Maï Yasué

Research Voices from the Field 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, Maï Yasué, incoming Assistant Dean of Equity and Social Accountability at Simon Fraser’s new School of Medicine and former Associate Director of the Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Office in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, reflects on why she co-authored “Embedding equity and inclusion in universities through motivational theory and community-based conservation approaches,” an article that brings an interdisciplinary, evidence-informed lens to advancing meaningful and sustained justice, equity, decolonization, Indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII) change in academic medicine.

Maï Yasué

In this edition, Maï Yasué, incoming Assistant Dean of Equity and Social Accountability at Simon Fraser’s new School of Medicine and former Associate Director of the Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Office in the UBC Faculty of Medicine, reflects on why she co-authored “Embedding equity and inclusion in universities through motivational theory and community-based conservation approaches,” an article that brings an interdisciplinary, evidence-informed lens to advancing meaningful and sustained justice, equity, decolonization, Indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII) change in academic medicine.

Read Maï Yasué‘s bio

Maï is the incoming Assistant Dean of Equity and Social Accountability at Simon Fraser’s new School of Medicine. She is the former Associate Director of the Office of Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) in the UBC Faculty of Medicine. During that role, she provided leadership to the REDI team in the development and delivery of our education and training programming. She collaborated 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.

Read our Farewell Message to Maï Yasué.

My path into this work began as a faculty member in a small, start-up university, where I experienced firsthand how institutional structures shape people’s experiences of equity or exclusion. In 15-student classes and a highly relational environment, I had opportunities to listen closely to students and colleagues with different lived experiences and to collaborate with others to create changes in admissions, financial aid, curriculum, and faculty evaluation. This context made one thing clear: lasting change is not driven by policies alone, but by relationships, shared purpose, and values-aligned engagement.

At the same time, my research in community-based conservation was grappling with similar challenges, particularly how to work with rural fishing, forestry, and farming communities to advance more just and effective environmental outcomes. A key lesson from that work was this: people who appear resistant are not uncaring. Rather, they hold values, constraints, and perspectives that must be understood and engaged. Progress depends on connecting with those intrinsic values, not trying to override them through pressure or oversimplifying their complex needs and identities.

Why it matters for medicine

In large, complex systems like academic medicine, equity work is often approached through incentives, compliance, or accountability measures. While these may have a role, they are not sufficient for deep cultural change and can sometimes undermine it.

This research invites a shift from asking how to get people to comply to asking how to create the conditions where people are internally motivated to engage and flourish. This includes building institutional capacity to listen to diverse perspectives, fostering trust, and co-developing solutions that are responsive to context. It also means providing mentorship and resources that meet people’s needs in ways that are timely and practical.

Finally, this work highlights the importance of drawing more intentionally on social science evidence. Medicine is deeply evidence-driven in clinical contexts, yet approaches to cultural and institutional change do not always reflect the same rigour. Without a strong evidence-based foundation, JEDII efforts risk losing focus and effectiveness. While JEDII is still an emerging field, an interdisciplinary approach allows us to draw on decades of research on motivation, learning, and social change. Much like farmers, fishers, and foresters, health professionals are incredibly busy. Supporting change in these contexts requires JEDII practitioners to act as translators and synthesizers of the best available evidence to design approaches that are both effective and feasible.

In many ways, this article reflects and validates the approach REDI has taken in the Faculty of Medicine. It provided an opportunity to synthesize, test, and peer review a set of practices grounded in motivation, relationships, and context. The article has been presented at an international conference, as well as in talks outside the Faculty of Medicine at UBC.

This work is also the product of interdisciplinary collaboration across different moments in my career. My co-authors include leading self-determination theory researchers Netta Weinstein and Nicole Legate; award-winning STEM educator and climate scientist and former Associate Dean Academic within the Faculty of Science at UBC, Sara Harris; higher education and EDI leader I-Chant Chiang; conflict transformation leader Ashley Moore; and Nadia Joe (Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko), an environmental professional advancing Indigenous community rights and practices on the land. Together, these perspectives made it possible to draw connections across fields that are not often in conversation.

Key Takeaways:

  • Sustainable JEDII change is driven by autonomous motivation, not rewards or punishment.
  • People who seem resistant are not disengaged; they need to be engaged through their intrinsic values.
  • Relationships, listening, and trust are foundational to meaningful institutional change.
  • Equity efforts are more effective when grounded in interdisciplinary, evidence-informed approaches to social change.

Embedding equity and inclusion in universities through motivational theory and community-based conservation approaches

Authors: Maï Yasué, Netta Weinstein, Sara E. Harris, I-Chant A. Chiang, Nicole Legate, Ashley J. Moore, Nadia Joe (Gä̀gala-ƛ̓iƛ̓ətko)

Abstract

Despite widespread plans to embed justice, equity, decolonization, indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII) into universities, progress toward deeper, systemic change is slow. Given that many community-based conservation (CBC) scholars have experience creating enduring social change in diverse communities, they have transferable skills that could help embed JEDII in universities. We synthesized the literature from CBC and examined it through the lens of self-determination theory to help identify generalizable approaches to create resilient sociocultural change toward JEDII in universities. Fostering autonomous motivation (i.e., behaving because one truly values and identifies with the behavior or finds behavior inherently satisfying) is critical to inspiring enduring change in both CBC and JEDII. Based on theory and our examination of CBC, we provide 5 broad recommendations that helped motivate behavioral change in a way that was self-sustained (i.e., even without external rewards or pressure). Guiding principles support autonomy by creating meaningful choice and different entry points for JEDII; prioritising relationships; designing payment programs that enhance autonomous motivation; developing meaningful educational opportunities that are relevant, timely, relational, and authentic; and creating institutional change by focusing efforts on critical moments.

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.

Farewell Maï Yasué, Associate Director of the REDI Office

Join us in wishing Maï Yasué well as she moves on from her role as Associate Director of the Respectful Environments, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Office. Maï will be starting a new role as Assistant Dean of Equity and Social Accountability at the new School of Medicine at Simon Fraser University in April 2026.

Over the past three years, Maï has been an extraordinary leader and a cornerstone of REDI’s work. In her role, she provided leadership to the REDI team and collaborated with leaders across departments, centres, administrative units, as well as staff and faculty, to identify institutional and individual barriers to inclusion and to foster long-term socio-cultural change toward justice, equity, decolonization, Indigenization, and inclusion (JEDII). It is difficult to fully capture the impact she has had on the Faculty of Medicine and UBC. While many will remember her incredible work ethic, often described as “running” from one consultation, event, workshop, or capacity-building opportunity to the next, it is her relational approach that has truly defined her leadership. At the heart of everything she does is a deep commitment to building relationships and fostering a strong community of EDI leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers.

During her time with the Faculty of Medicine, Maï has grown REDI into a diverse and passionate team, united by a shared commitment to making healthcare education and research more equitable and inclusive. Her leadership has led to significant accomplishments, including the expansion of It Starts With Us, two major symposia, and hundreds of consultations and sessions focused on Indigenous Strategic Plan implementation, conflict engagement, and embedding JEDII across Faculty processes. Her unwavering dedication has helped advance the Faculty’s strategic goals in meaningful and lasting ways.

Maï’s recognition of the centrality of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) commitments to this work has been especially impactful. She has played a key role in strengthening collaboration between the Indigenous Engagement and REDI teams, supporting the growth of the Indigenous Speakers Series and multiple in-person gatherings that centre Indigenous voices and leadership.

Her focus on values-based, intrinsic approaches to change has allowed her to meet people where they are and create an environment where partners feel supported to take meaningful action in their own contexts.

Maï brings a rare combination of thoughtfulness, energy, and strategic insight to everything she does. She is a deeply committed and hardworking leader, known for her consistently positive and cheerful presence. She approaches every situation with enthusiasm and care, ensuring people feel heard and supported, and has a remarkable ability to navigate complex conversations in ways that are restorative and grounded in connection.

A gifted relationship builder, Maï has strengthened connections across the Faculty and cultivated a wide network of trust and collaboration for REDI. She sees the unique strengths in each individual and has a natural talent for encouraging others to grow, inspiring confidence and bringing out the best in those around her.

Her energy is contagious. She brings humour, warmth, and a sense of possibility to her work. Even when navigating challenging situations and the many complexities of this work, she does so with care and optimism, leaving people feeling supported and hopeful.

Strategic and insightful, Maï has an exceptional ability to see pathways forward that others might miss, often finding creative and thoughtful solutions to complex challenges.

Maï’s impact on REDI and the broader Faculty community has been profound, and she will be greatly missed. We are grateful for her leadership and wish her all the very best in her next chapter. In the interim, Equity Advisor Madison Tardif will take on the role of Acting Associate Director of REDI.  

Join us in celebrating Maï by sharing a message of gratitude on our Padlet. 

A Message from Maï Yasué

I am deeply grateful for my time at UBC, and especially for the opportunity to work alongside colleagues in the Faculty of Medicine and the REDI Office who are committed to advancing equity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization in thoughtful and meaningful ways. Coming to UBC from a small university, I learned a great deal about how to scale, embed, and resource JEDII within a large and complex institution.

Even in a relatively well-resourced and supported context, this work is not easy. In large, distributed systems, building and sustaining relationships across difference takes time and intention. The diversity within institutions like UBC holds tremendous potential for innovation and synergy, but realizing that potential requires us to intentionally and structurally embed relational approaches into how we work. I have been continually inspired by the people doing this challenging work and am proud of what has been built.

Building on what I have learned at UBC, Quest University, and through community-based research, I am excited to help embed equity and social accountability from the ground up at SFU’s School of Medicine. This feels like a natural continuation of the questions that have shaped my work: how we create institutions that listen well, how we support motivation for meaningful change, and how we build systems that reflect care, relationship, and accountability to communities. 

Maï Yasué

Vital Signs: Treating Polarization and Creating Psychological Safety in Healthcare Environments

Anima Leadership is offering a three session series designed specifically for those in leadership positions in the healthcare industry who are facing heightened demand with lesser resources while struggling to create cohesive and high trust teams.

UBC clinical faculty, faculty, staff, and learners can receive 15% off when registering through this REDI registration link (minimum 5 registrants). The total cost is $449 USD plus HST before discount. 

This three session series focuses on:

  • Wed, June 10th, Module One, 10:00am-12:00pm PT
    Creating Inclusive Teams within Healthcare environments: Communication, coherence and conflict
  • Wed, June 17th, Module Two, 10:00am-12:00pm PT
    Strengths and Challenges of Diversity and Inclusion processes: Timing, policies and process
  • Wed, June 24th, Module Three, 10:00am-12:00pm PT
    Addressing Polarization and Building Psychological Safety framing, facilitation and forward action

This course is ideal for:

  • Health care administrators
  • Middle and senior level managers
  • Team leads and others in a leadership role
Register via REDI for a 15% Discount
Learn More about the Event

REDI Digest Guide: Indigenous Speakers Series conversation with Natan Obed

REDI Digest Guide: Engaging Values, Shifting Culture

Moments That Matter: Conflict

Research Voices from the Field with Tatiana Sotindjo

Research Voices from the Field with Tatiana Sotindjo

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, Tatiana Sotindjo, Adolescent Medicine Specialist at the BC Children’s Hospital and Hudson Equity Diversity and Inclusion Scholar in the Department of Pediatrics, reflects on why she co-authored “The Impact of Intersectional Discrimination and Stigma on HIV Care for African, Caribbean, and Black Women Living With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic in British Columbia: A Descriptive Study” — a must read for scholars, educators and clinicians committed to advancing equity in healthcare systems.

Tatiana Sotindjo

In this edition, Tatiana Sotindjo, Adolescent Medicine Specialist at the BC Children’s Hospital and Hudson Equity Diversity and Inclusion Scholar in the Department of Pediatrics, reflects on why she co-authored “The Impact of Intersectional Discrimination and Stigma on HIV Care for African, Caribbean, and Black Women Living With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic in British Columbia: A Descriptive Study” — a must read for scholars, educators and clinicians committed to advancing equity in healthcare systems.

Read Tatiana Sotindjo‘s bio

Tatiana Sotindjo

Dr. Tatiana Sotindjo is part of the pediatric care team at the Provincial HIV care program and consultant Adolescent Medicine Specialist at BC Children’s Youth Health Clinic. She was appointed as inaugural Hudson Scholar for Equity Diversity and Inclusion for the UBC Department of Pediatrics.

Dr. Tatiana Sotindjo is an exemplary leader in equity, diversity and inclusion, and in her clinical work in pediatric HIV care and addictions care. As the Hudson, ‘Scholar for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion she has been a leader, a mentor and an inspiration to residents and fellows from pediatrics, infectious diseases, medical microbiology and adolescent medicine. She advocates tirelessly for patients and staff facing racism and discrimination; she constantly challenges us to do better and never accepted the status quo as sufficient – as such, those around her have all been raised to a higher bar because of her impact and influence.

As a pediatrician, I care deeply about the health and well-being not only of the children and youth in my direct care, but also of the adults and extended community members who care for and raise them. This is particularly true for children living with and/or affected by HIV.

This was highlighted during the unique circumstances that occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although some experiences, such as school interruptions, shutdowns, and alterations of extracurriculars (if not cancellations), were widely shared, some were unique to children and youth who had, in their circle of care, adults affected by the intersection of sexism, HIV, and African, Caribbean, and Black ancestry (ACB). Speaking to parents and caregivers, it was clear in my clinical encounters that social and family strains were experienced on numerous fronts for women living with HIV. Not only were they uniquely experienced, but arguably more significant.

Together with Dr. Ojukwu and our group, we continue to document and further understand the resilience of ACB women living with HIV. Their voices were essential in understanding how to support them and their families.

Choosing an intersectional framework to understand the lived experience was particularly suited to this descriptive study. The women shared their experiences not through a single lens, but through the real plurality of human experience during a distinctive period of time. We hope this article contributes to acknowledging these realities and better preparing for future society-altering events in order to optimize support and resources.

The Impact of Intersectional Discrimination and Stigma on HIV Care for African, Caribbean, and Black Women Living With HIV During the COVID-19 Pandemic in British Columbia: A Descriptive Study

Authors: Emmanuela Ojukwu, Saima Hirani, Tatiana Sotindjo, Emily McKay, Ijeoma Okedo-Alex, Patience Magagula, Ava Pashaei, Ginikachukwu Marylinda Agudosi

Abstract

African, Caribbean, and Black women living with HIV (ACB WWH) in British Columbia experience discrimination on the basis of their race, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and HIV status. The various forms of stigma that ACB WWH experience intersect to create a uniquely marginalized experience that has negative consequences for quality of life and overall well-being. Eighteen semistructured interviews were completed with ACB WWH in British Columbia. Interviews were conducted by phone, Zoom, or in-person at the participant’s request. Participants consistently reported experiences of various forms of discrimination. There was additional stigmatization due to COVID-19 pandemic that negatively influenced the lives of ACB WWH. Interventions and resources are needed to support ACB WWH in navigating how to work through the multifaceted impacts of intersectional stigmatization. Efforts are needed to identify ways to continue the delivery of resources like social support groups throughout future pandemics.

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.

Seed2STEM Summer Research Program for Indigenous Youth