Positionality Statement

I lived in Edmonton, Alberta, until 2019 and now reside in Kelowna, B.C.

I am a mother, cellist, drummer/singer, health

care aide, massage therapy (body worker), and triathlete.

My biological parents were from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Alberta.

I was adopted as an infant and lived in Edmonton, Ardrossan and Sherwood Park,

Alberta was an only child.

I am an intergenerational Sixties Scoop survivor.

I discovered my birth family and met my biological grandmother, sister, aunts,

uncles and other family members in 2007.

I started to attend sweat lodge ceremonies, powwows, and pipe ceremonies.

I learned how to pick sweetgrass and harvest it, build a sweat lodge, sew a

ribbon skirt and smudge in prayers with tobacco. I continue this way of life. 

I was welcomed officially in Saddle Lake Cree Nation 2017 in a special

powwow ceremony, where I was reunited with many relatives

on both of my birth parents’ sides.

I am passionate about helping and supporting many Indigenous people in the

community by raising awareness in the spirit of the National Truth and

Reconciliation Commission. I raise awareness about Every

Child Matters, Indian Residential Schools, Missing and Murdered Indigenous

men and women, Calls to Action and cultural safety.

Indigenous Day is held on June 21 yearly to

celebrate our culture and traditions.​

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I am interested in health promotion, preventative health care, treatment for chronic health care issues, Indigenous health, political health and policy. I am eager to contribute significantly to healthcare, leveraging my diverse background in management, clinical and coordinating work experiences, healthcare knowledge, and leadership skills. My interest in health care has been significantly influenced by my experiences in home care, where I have cared for patients in their homes, provided palliative care, and offered personal care for eleven years. I have made a connection to my Indigenous background. I am more knowledgeable about cultural aspects of health care and have experience in academic research that will enhance my ability to provide the best health care.

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I am a sprint triathlete who competed in the Penticton Peach Classic from 2022 to 2023. I also completed the Cherry Blossom Sprint triathlon on May 4, 2025.  I have raised money for the Sick Kids Foundation through the Great Bike Challenge for the third time this year.

 

I acknowledge that I live on the land of the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the syilx Okanagan people.

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