RN B.Sc., Clinical Nursing Advisor

Mikonis Awashish is a nurse from the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation and also an Atikamekw nehirowiskwew. She obtained a Diploma of Collegial Studies in Nursing in 2013 from Cégep de St-Félicien, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2017 from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi.

From 2013 to 2022, Mikonis worked at CIUSSS Saguenay Lac St-Jean Hôpital de Roberval. Her extensive experience in the public network led her to become involved in improving service delivery methods. Mikonis is currently a nursing clinical advisor for Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takakuhikan.

MSc, Nurse Clinician and Consultant

Glenda Sandy is a Naskapi nurse from Kawawachikamach, Quebec, and a member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation, Cross Lake, Manitoba. She earned a nursing diploma from St. Lawrence College in Kingston, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Queen's University and a Master of Community Health from Université Laval. Her thesis, entitled Naskapi Miyupimaatisiiun, explored the meaning of health among the Naskapi.

Glenda is currently working for Inuit Nunavik Public Health on a research project on tuberculosis and the desires of Inuit communities for culturally safe care.

Nurse IPS-PL Nurse Specialist Practitioner

Mélanie Courtois has over twenty years' experience as a nurse clinician in her home community of Mashteuiatsh.

Mélanie's leadership skills enable her to mobilize people around her in a movement to transform health care and achieve community goals. Professionally involved in a cultural securitization process, her mandate is to develop a community health strategy rooted in local needs in Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takakuhikan.

Associate Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University and emergency pediatrician

Samir Shaheen-Hussain is Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Associate Member of the School of Population and Global Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at McGill University. He practices as an emergency pediatrician at Tio'tia:ke (Montreal). Samir is also involved in the Collectif Soignons la justice sociale, and is the author of the award-winning book Fighting for A Hand to Hold: Confronting Medical Colonialism against Indigenous Children in Canada.

Samir is a second-generation racialized settler, born to immigrant parents from South Asia. The place he calls home, in Tio'tia:ke (Montreal), is located on the unceded territory of the Kanien'kehá:ka nation.

Psychologist, MSc

Born to a Nehirosiw mother from Opitciwan and a Québécois father, Sylvie Roy has been working as a psychologist in Atikamekw communities for over 25 years. Ms. Roy has also held various positions within Atikamekw Onikam Social Services, including Director of Social Protection, as part of the implementation of the Atikamekw Authority Intervention System.

Sylvie leads initiatives to improve practices in early childhood education settings, particularly in the detection of difficulties and developmental delays in preschool children. She advocates a pedagogy centered on Atikamekw culture, which is valued and explored as a protective factor.

Special care counseling

Alice, an Atikamekw Niherowisiw Iskwew from Manawan, is a trained special education teacher who has worked for Manawan Social Services for the past 24 years. She is also part of a psychosocial team and a sexual assault team.

Alice is a co-researcher with the University of Quebec on a project focusing on sexuality education for parents, particularly Atikamekw fathers. Passionate about her work, human beings, grief, and sexuality in all its forms, she spends part of her time sharing her knowledge by giving lectures on motivation, positivism, and resilience.

Retired

Gisèle Flamand is an Atikamekw from Manawan for whom her mother tongue, Atikamekw Nehirowimowin, holds a special place in her heart. She speaks it with pride and confidence. Gisèle completed her studies in Social Sciences at Collège de Maisonneuve in Montréal, where she developed an understanding of social realities that continues to guide her involvement today. 

Known for her honesty and reliability, Gisèle places great importance on human and relational values in both her personal and professional life. She is also a mother and grandmother—roles she deeply cherishes and that strengthen her commitment to the well-being of future generations. 

Guided by a deep respect for traditional knowledge, she practices moccasin-making and values time spent connecting with nature, especially through walks in the forest. These practices support her personal journey, grounded in healing, resilience, and self-trust. 

Through her path, Gisèle seeks to contribute positively to the well-being of her community by promoting values of respect, solidarity, and cultural transmission. 

Indigenous Health Navigator

By lineage, Jodi is from Six Nations of the Grand River, Turtle Clan. She is registered with the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation through her mother, who was born to a Mohawk woman and a Mississauga (Ojibwe) man. Her father is from Six Nations of the Grand River. Having lived off-reserve for most of her life, she currently resides in Hamilton, Ontario. 

Jodi’s journey has taken her from community work into the healthcare sector, where she became Hamilton’s first Aboriginal Patient Navigator in 2012. As a volunteer, she was often among the first Indigenous Patient and Family Advisors to contribute at provincial, regional, and local tables. 

Her work has focused on building bridges between Indigenous- and non-Indigenous-led health and social service organizations, as well as care providers. She supported the implementation of coordinated care plans for complex patients, contributed to capacity-building among providers, and assisted in developing tools that promote allyship and meaningful engagement. 

Through this work, Jodi reignited her passion for advancing cultural safety for Indigenous peoples at both the system and patient levels. She furthered this commitment through her work with a provincial program in Ontario and the internationally recognized San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training Program. She currently supports Indigenous organizations in their accreditation journeys. 

Jodi is a proud mother of four children and is closely connected to her extended family, including her nieces, nephews, and grand-nieces and nephews, as well as her four-legged family members. She walks with the original instructions of both the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabeg. Her current learning journey focuses on Anishinaabemowin and traditional plant-based medicines and healing practices. 

Community Worker

Kahsennóktha is Kanien'kehá:ka from the community and territory of Kanehsatà:ke. She holds her role as a mother of four children at the heart of her life and values. 

Her educational background includes studies in human relations, psychology, and mental health, which inform her perspective and approach. Kahsennóktha is inspired by conversations centered on interconnectedness, change, and growth, and she is guided by strong values of responsibility and compassion. 

Fluent in both English and French, she stands alongside her community in the shared commitment to promote and revitalize the Kanien'kéha language. 

Project Coordinator

From the Atikamekw Nation of Obedjiwan, Sandra has forged a deep understanding of healthcare realities through her work as a clinical nurse and as an ally in collective healing. Drawing on a rich professional background dedicated to the dignity and well-being of her people, she now brings her expertise to the heart of the mission of Joyce's Principle by joining our network of ambassadors.