Dr. Amélie Blanchet Garneau — Supporting Indigenous Students in Quebec and Advancing Equity in Health Care
In 2019, Dr. Amélie Blanchet Garneau received a research chair through the Indigenous Research Chairs in Nursing initiative. As a white settler, Dr. Blanchet Garneau has been inspired by Indigenous scholars and partners. Her research is guided by a sense of collective responsibility to dismantle structural inequities that continue to harm Indigenous Peoples in health care and health education systems.
A central pillar of Dr. Blanchet Garneau's work is supporting Indigenous students and scholars through funding, mentorship, inclusive research spaces, and a dedicated Indigenous nurse-researcher program at the Université de Montréal. These initiatives are supporting Indigenous students in their journey to become nursing practitioners and researchers who will contribute to advancing equity in Canada's health care system.
One of them is Joannie Gill, a Pekuakamiulnuatsh writer and consultant who became the first Indigenous student to join the master's program in nursing at Université de Montréal from her Indigenous community: "I have been studying 100% remotely so I can stay in my community to raise my children in my own culture," she says.
After publishing her first scientific article, Joannie is excited to present a new study on Indigenous antiracist principles for nursing education later this year at the International Conference of Francophone Nurses in Switzerland. "The Quebec Indigenous Research Chair in Nursing has completely changed my life. The team members of the program are like a family to me," says Joannie.
Besides supporting students, Dr. Blanchet Garneau has partnered with Indigenous-led organizations such as Bureau du Principe de Joyce, Regroupement des Centres d'Amitié autochtones du Québec, and Mikana, to transform nursing practices and hold health organizations accountable for Indigenous inequities. These partnerships have led to major outcomes, including the integration of Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action into national accreditation criteria for nursing programs in Canada and the development of anti-Indigenous racism training for health professionals.
Dr. Blanchet Garneau knows that more work still needs to be done. She will continue working with Indigenous students and partners to develop and strengthen practices that reflect Indigenous knowledge. "We hope to foster a future where Indigenous leadership, scholarship, and relational ethics shape the very structures that once excluded them," she adds.
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