Dr. Catherine Cook and Elder Margaret Lavallee each received the Certificate of Merit Award, which promotes, recognizes and rewards faculty committed to medical education in Canadian medical schools.

“These awards are a testament to the important contributions by UM medical educators and learners in promoting Indigenous participation and achievement,” said Dr. Peter Nickerson, vice-provost (health sciences), dean, Max Rady College of Medicine and dean, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. “Their dedication to medicine, equity and access is not only evident in their daily work but is also recognized and affirmed at a national level by these prestigious awards.”

He also congratulated Marissa Murray (medical student), Dr. Melinda Fowler-Woods (resident), and Dr. Amanda Fowler-Woods (graduate student) on receiving the CAME Rising Star – Certificate of Excellence Awards.

The CAME awards will be presented at a virtual award presentation taking place on Thursday, February 29, 2024 from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm Eastern via Zoom.

Certificate of Merit recipients

The CAME Certificate of Merit Award recognizes senior faculty who have made an exceptional contribution to medical education in Canadian medical schools.

Dr. Catherine Cook

Dr. Catherine Cook
In her role as the inaugural vice-president (Indigenous) at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Catherine Cook oversaw Indigenous senior leadership projects which are integral to expanding Indigenous representation in classrooms and in leadership, creating supports and structures for Indigenous success, and advancing reconciliation at UM. She previously served as vice-dean (Indigenous health) at the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

Elder Margaret Lavallee

Elder Margaret Lavallee

Margaret Lavallee is the Elder-in-Residence at Ongomiizwin – Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. She is dedicated to expanding knowledge and providing cultural and spiritual guidance to students. Upon receiving her honorary degree by UM in 2022, she said her dream is to have more Indigenous students entering health-care professions.

Rising Star — Certificate of Excellence recipients

The CAME Rising Star — Certificate of Excellence Award recognizes learners who have demonstrated a commitment to medical education that has had a positive impact on the health professions education community.

Marissa Murray

Marissa Murray

Third-year medical student Marissa Murray holds a unique gift with her ability to teach those around her. Her commitment to uplifting her peers in combination with her remarkable way of knowledge sharing makes Marissa a champion of Indigenous learner success.

Dr. Melinda Fowler-Woods

Dr. Melinda Fowler-Woods

Dr. Melinda Fowler-Woods’ commitment to working with traditional medicines alongside western medicine goes beyond her own knowledge and practice, as she also values creating space for future Indigenous physicians to learn about traditional medicines as well.  

Dr. Amanda Fowler-Woods

Dr. Amanda Fowler-Woods

A recent PhD graduate, Dr. Amanda Fowler-Woods’ research work leads with the utmost respect for Indigenous peoples, Indigenous communities, and Indigenous health and is recognized as a valuable contribution to the health of Indigenous peoples.

The brightly coloured artwork, which includes imagery of Thunderbirds, was inspired by Indigenous youth taking flight to attain their education and employment goals.

Angeconeb is a Winnipeg artist who is a member of Lac Seul First Nation in Ontario. EleV, a Mastercard Foundation program, commissioned the mural from him in partnership with UM.

“I hope this mural will inspire people and bring them joy,” the artist said.

The mural was unveiled at an event organized by Ongomiizwin, the Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day) on September 29, 2022.

At Orange Shirt Day events on both UM campuses, participants commemorated the tragic legacy of residential schools and called for reconciliation. Speakers emphasized the Rady Faculty’s commitment to its Reconciliation Action Plan, developed in response to the health-related Calls to Action made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Marcia Anderson [MD/02], the Cree-Anishinaabe physician who is vice-dean Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism of the Rady Faculty, said the Brodie Centre atrium is the ideal setting for Angeconeb’s mural because it is the heart of the Rady Faculty.

“This artwork is a hopeful symbol of how we are decolonizing the university and bringing Indigenous knowledge into the heart of our education, research and service work,” Anderson said.

Here’s a look at recent initiatives that are supporting Indigenous inclusion, equity and advancement across the Rady Faculty:

The College of Pharmacy has increased the number of places allocated for Indigenous applicants to 10 in each incoming class of 55 as part of its new Canadian Indigenous Applicant Pool for the Doctor of Pharmacy program.

The Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry has a proposal, currently awaiting UM Senate approval, to increase the number of places allocated for Indigenous dentistry students to five in each incoming class of 29.

At the Max Rady College of Medicine, which has a process for supporting admissions of Indigenous students, representation in the incoming class of 110 has included 15 Indigenous students in 2020, 17 in 2021 and 13 in the most recent class.

“The inclusion of Indigenous practitioners and leaders in our health-care system is key to honouring reconciliation and creating a system where First Nations, Métis and Inuit patients feel safe to participate and access the care they need,” said Sara Goulet [B.Sc. (Hons)/97, B.Sc.(Med.)/05, MD/05], associate dean (admissions) of the medical college.

At the College of Nursing, Mahkwa omushki kiim: Pathway to Indigenous Nursing Education (PINE) provides a supportive community for Indigenous students who are preparing for, or admitted to, the bachelor of nursing (BN) program.

PINE provides access to Knowledge Keepers, student advisors and academic coaches. Since the program’s inception in 2008, 51 participating students have gone on to graduate from the BN program. Currently, 69 pre-nursing and BN students are enrolled in PINE.

At the College of Rehabilitation Sciences, a two-day, in-person retreat with First Nations partners was held in October. The partnership is named Kiga mamo anokimin onji minoayawin/Kamamawi atoskatenow minoyin, meaning “We will work together for health and wellness.” Its goal is to bring the college’s rehabilitation services to communities.

The partnership started in 2016 with five First Nations communities and has grown to include 10. It has included initiatives to help people who are frail and people who have dementia, as well as projects to build playgrounds and walking trails.

At Ongomiizwin – Education, a mentorship program for Indigenous students in the health sciences has been launched.

The program is called Gekinoo’amaaged, which means “Teaching each other.” It pairs Indigenous learners with Indigenous student mentors who are further ahead on the university journey and can offer guidance and advice.

Evan Loeb, a third-year Métis dentistry student, is one of those who signed up as a mentor. “I would like to give back to students because I know Indigenous people are under-represented in health-care fields,” he said.

Ongomiizwin – Research recently hosted its 10th annual Indigenous Health Research Symposium. One of the speakers, Métis rheumatologist Cheryl Barnabe [B.Sc./99, B.Sc.(Med.)/03, MD/03], discussed what it means for researchers to work in true partnership with Indigenous communities.

It’s essential, she said, to establish relationships, respect the research priorities of the community, hire local people for research roles, build on community strengths, use an Indigenous lens to interpret findings, and follow the community’s wishes as to how research results are shared.

Recognizing Indigenous Achievement 

Monica Cyr [B.Sc.(HNS)/15, M.Sc.(HNS)/18] is one of two inaugural recipients of UM Indigenous Doctoral Program Fellowships. Cyr, an Indigenous dietician, is pursuing her PhD in community health sciences. She is studying Indigenous women’s self-image before and after giving birth.

Wanda Phillips-Beck [M.Sc./10, PhD/22] earned a 2022 UM Distinguished Dissertation Award for her doctoral research. The Anishinaabe nurse holds Manitoba’s first Indigenous Research Chair in Nursing and is an adjunct professor in the College of Nursing.

Phillips-Beck’s research focused on the policy that requires Indigenous women from rural and remote communities to travel to urban hospitals to give birth. The study showed that being forced to leave the community is associated with increased odds of inadequate prenatal care, lower odds of breastfeeding and higher odds of having a small baby.

Margaret Lavallee [LLD/22], Elder-in-residence at Ongomiizwin, was honoured with the official naming of the Dr. Margaret Lavallee Boardroom in recognition of her many contributions to mentorship, education and health service.

Four Rady women received 2022 Indigenous Awards of Excellence from UM for their work as community builders and trailblazers:

Mandy Buss, Melody Muswaggon, Mélanie Morris and Charisma Castel.

Mandy Buss [B.Sc./03, MD/09], Indigenous health lead in the department of family medicine; Melody Muswaggon, health innovations lead at Ongomiizwin – Health Services; Dr. Mélanie Morris, surgeon and Indigenous health lead at Winnipeg Children’s Hospital; Charisma Castel, a bachelor of health sciences student whose roles have included communications coordinator of the UM Indigenous Students’ Association.

Ishkode Catcheway, a student in the bachelor of health sciences program, received a 2022 Emerging Leader Award from UM. Catcheway has served as a peer mentor in the Neechiwaken program and a participant in the Indigenous Circle of Empowerment. She is the first in her family to attend university.

“What inspires me to continue my academic journey is being able to not only take up spaces where my mom and grandma weren’t ever wanted … but also to give my younger siblings and cousins something to look at and draw from,” Catcheway said.

The feather and pin were gifted to them by Ongomiizwin, the Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, to recognize their hard work over the last four years as students in the Max Rady College of Medicine.

Elder Margaret Lavallee

The gifts were presented at Ongomiizwin’s graduation event on May 31 to celebrate the nine Indigenous Class of 2022 medicine graduates and to recognize Elder Margaret Lavallee, Elder-in-residence at Ongomiizwin, for receiving an honorary degree at convocation. The celebration took place in the Buhler Atrium on the Bannatyne campus.

“We’re so proud of our graduates and so pleased to see them as they set out on their post-medical school journeys over the next few years,” said Kimberly Hart, senior lead, Indigenous health student affairs, Ongomiizwin Education. “It’s really important to be able to have the chance to get together and really celebrate all their hard work.”

Leslie Spillett, knowledge keeper with Ongomiizwin Education, gave the opening prayer. Dr. Marcia Anderson, vice-dean Indigenous health, social justice and anti-racism, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, and Melanie MacKinnon, head of Ongomiizwin, congratulated the graduates and Lavallee on their accomplishments. Roger Green performed an honour song and a travelling song.

Dr. Gabriel Dmytryszyn, who is Métis and a member of the St. Norbert Métis local, said that it’s both daunting and a huge honour to now be a physician.

“I feel I want to do my very best, to pay respect to my grandparents and hopefully make them proud,” said Dmytryszyn, who will be doing his residency in rural family medicine in Medicine Hat, Alta. “It took a lot of support to get me here. I definitely would not have been able to do it by myself.”

Dr. Lindsay Bristow, who is First Nations, will be starting a residency in psychiatry in Winnipeg. She said she was honoured to attend the event.

“Receiving an eagle feather is the highest honour,” she said. “It’s nothing that I’ve experienced before. I feel so fortunate and thankful.”

Dr. Fernando Villaseñor, who is Haudenosaunee-Cree and a descendant of the Michel First Nation, will be doing his family medicine residency in UM’s northern and remote program. He said it’s kind of surreal to be finished medical school and he’s excited for what comes next.

“It’s very humbling to be honoured today, and it goes to show how involved Ongomiizwin has been in really nurturing and fostering a sense of community amongst the Indigenous graduates,” he said.

The other honourees from the Class of 2022 include Drs. Liam Barrett, Thomas Boyko, Diana Craig, Hailey Hildebrand, Jordan Thisdelle and Gabrielle Wilson.

The event also celebrated Lavallee, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws from UM at Convocation on May 19.

“To see our Elder Margaret receive the highest honour for her work and dedication in expanding knowledge and supporting learners is well deserved,” MacKinnon said. “We are so grateful and fortunate to have her in our collective circle.” 

Lavallee said it was exciting to share the day with the medical graduates.

“I’m so happy for them because I saw them come in, and four years down the road, they’re graduating,” Lavallee said. “My dream is to have more Indigenous students coming in to become doctors or enter into health care.”