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Virtual Indigenous Food Forum Gathering
A virtual Indigenous Food Forum gathering was held on March 16, 2023. This virtual gathering was a follow up to the in-person Food Forum that was held in Osoyoos in November 2022. The purpose of the virtual gathering was to provide space for people to connect and share. Feedback from the in-person event re-iterated the importance and need to connect with others working on food security, food systems and food sovereignty.
Thank you to those who joined us at the virtual gathering. There was great discussion, sharing and potential for collaboration.
The next in-person Food Forum gathering is scheduled for September 25 & 26, 2023 at Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc Powwow Arbour in Kamloops. Registration for the event opens June 15.
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Gloria Big Sorrel Horse
Aboriginal Partnerships would like to recognize Gloria Big Sorrel Horse, Aboriginal Patient Navigator, for her work advancing cultural safety and humility within Interior Health.
Gloria joined Interior Health in 2008 as one of the first Aboriginal Patient Navigators (APNs) for Royal Inland Hospital. She was instrumental in developing the APN program. In 2017, Gloria accepted the APN position for Kelowna General Hospital, where she continued as a caring and courageous leader for cultural safety, diversity and equality.
Gloria continues to be a cultural resource person in her community by providing spiritual support to health-care providers and community members. Gloria enjoys attending community cultural events and family gatherings, and being on the land, gathering medicines and picking berries with her husband Randy.
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A ceremony for Gloria Big Sorrel Horse took place on April 17, 2023 at the Kelowna Community Health Services Centre
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We are excited to announce that Janessa Collins joined Interior Health and the Employee Experience team on March 16, 2023 as the Business Partner, Aboriginal Employee Experience.
Janessa’s name is Kʷista’yetko; her English name is Janessa Collins. She is Nłeʔkepmx (Nlaka’pamux) and resides on her ancestors’ traditional unceded territory in the Nicola Valley in Merritt, where she is a member of the Lower Nicola Indian Band.
Janessa received her undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia (UBC) Okanagan and a Master of Education in Administration and Leadership from UBC Vancouver. She has spent 14 years working with Indigenous peoples, organizations, and communities in the Interior region of B.C., with her previous role being a human resources manager in child and family services. Janessa is excited to join IH and begin building authentic, collaborative connections.
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Allyship Builders is an invitation for IH staff to engage in activities, learning and reflection around Aboriginal Health and Wellness. Each month, the Allyship Builders workbook provides suggestions that will help staff incorporate cultural safety and humility into their everyday practices.
The Allyship Builders activities for May focused on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Gender Diverse People.
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Supporting First Nations in Health Emergencies
In 2021, a year marked by catastrophic wildfires and floods in B.C., Tamara Sommer was hired to support the Health Emergency Management BC team at Interior Health. Today, Tamara is the Indigenous Liaison for Health Emergency Management B.C., supporting First Nations communities throughout the Interior region.
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Interior Voices Podcast: Moose Hide Campaign
Podcast hosts Jody Wagner and Jade Chaboyer-Kondra sat down with Moose Hide Campaign co-founder Raven Lacerte and National Ambassador Dominic Paul.
The Moose Hide Campaign began as a BC-born Indigenous-led grassroots movement to engage men and boys in ending violence towards women and children. It has since grown into a nationwide movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians from local communities, First Nations, governments, schools, colleges/universities, police forces and many other organizations – all committed to taking action to end this violence.
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IH's Indigenous-Specific Antiracism training released
The Aboriginal Cultural Safety and Humility team is excited to announce that it has launched a new Indigenous-Specific Antiracism Education series (ISAE). This training is one of Interior Health’s strategies to address the concerns of the In Plain Sight Report (2021) of Indigenous-specific racism in B.C.’s health-care system.
The Aboriginal Cultural Safety and Humility team developed the three microcourses using best practices in adult education where they intersect with Indigenous pedagogies. Each microcourse is comprised of several modules. Modules 2 and 3 of Microcourse 1 were developed in collaboration with the Journey to Cultural Safety and Humility Advisory committee (JACSH). The JACSH is made up of representatives from each of the host nations (Dãkelh Dené, Ktunaxa, Nlaka’pamux, Secwépemc, St’át’imc, Syilx, and Tŝilhqot’in), and the Métis Nation BC.
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The Interior Health Aboriginal Career Specialists support continued movement towards a more inclusive healthcare system, where diversity, inclusion and addressing Aboriginal-specific racism are a recognized priority at all levels of the organization. Their work primarily supports the recruitment and retention of Aboriginal employees at Interior Health.
The Aboriginal Employment Advisors offer the following services to job seekers:
- Tips for resume and cover letter writing
- Interview/pre-screen readiness coaching
- Application process support
- Onboarding and career exploration
- Aboriginal community and youth engagement
The Aboriginal Career Specialists are hard at work connecting with candidates, communities, and attending career and engagement events.
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Aboriginal Job Postings with Interior Health
Visit IH Careers for Up-to-Date Aboriginal Listings
- Aboriginal Cultural Safety Educator (two positions) - Flexible location
- Aboriginal Patient Care Quality and Safety Consultant - Flexible location
- Aboriginal Patient Navigator - Penticton
- Aboriginal Patient Navigator - Kamloops
- Aboriginal Patient Navigator - Kelowna
- Aboriginal Patient Navigator - Williams Lake
- Nurse Practitioner, Rural Aboriginal - Kamloops
- Nurse Practitioner, Urban Aboriginal - Kamloops
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