On April 10th we celebrate annual Indigenous Nurses Day in honour of Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture, a Kanien’kehà:ka woman who was the first Indigenous registered nurse in Canada.
We honour the health care contributions and achievements of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis nurses, educators, and students in Canada. Thank you for your commitment, courage, teachings, and invaluable role in improving the health care of Canadians.
Indigenous nurses continue to face systemic barriers, including cultural erasure within health systems, persistent experiences of anti‑Indigenous racism, and logistical challenges such as geographic isolation and limited access to culturally safe care environments. These barriers contribute to inequities in both training and practice for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis nurses.
CASN is actively working with Indigenous organizations and partners through initiatives such as Truth and Reconciliation–focused workshops and community‑engaged policy development to improve culturally safe, equitable access to nursing education for Indigenous students. The CASN national office and CASN Board of Directors continue to build relationships of trust and reciprocity to meaningfully decolonize educational resources and processes that will support efforts to confront the embedded colonial perspectives upon which nursing education is built.
CASN invites all health care professionals and institutions to meaningfully implement the TRC Calls to Action 18 through 24 in their workplaces and practices in partnership with local Indigenous communities.
Special Message from CASN Executive Director, Jean Daniel Jacob
Related Resources (CASN)
- Printable Indigenous Nurses Day poster pdfs:
- The Nurse’s Role in Supporting Reproductive Justice with Indigenous Peoples
- Cultural Humility and Cultural Safety Standards for Nursing Education in Canada
- Addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action in Nursing Education: Workshop Series
- Indigenous Nursing Student and Faculty Survey Report, 2022–2023
- Framework of Strategies for Nursing Education to Respond to the Calls to Action of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2020)
Related Events and Resources (external links)
- The kā-wīci-pimohtēmāt Professional Practice Group is hosting an event Celebrating Indigenous Nurses Day 2026
- Date/Time: April 10, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST
- Location: Good Medicine People Space Room 4000.1 4th Floor E-Wing Health Sciences Building, Saskatoon, SK
- Celebrating Indigenous Nurses Day (CNO)
- Celebrating Indigenous Nurses Day (BCCNM)
