Celebrating Indigenous Nurses Day and National Nursing Week
This story was originally published on Fraser Health news.
In celebration of B.C. Indigenous Nurses Day and National Nursing Week, Darlene Dalby shares her journey to becoming an Indigenous health liaison, and her thoughts on the future of health care.
Weytkp, “Hello everyone,” in Secwepemctsín.
My name is Darlene Dalby, I am a proud First Nations woman from Dakelh (Carrier) and Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nations.
My ancestry is complex. I had a distant relationship with my European father (settler), so I naturally grew deeply connected to my First Nations family. I spent summers living on reserve with my Granny May, uncles, aunties and so many cousins.
My mother and teacher, Karen, taught me the ways of our ancestors. When times were right, we collected berries, mushrooms and medicinal plants based on the seasons. I also fondly remember the days where we would harvest salmon, by canning, freezing and drying it for the winter months. These values and traditions humbled me as an adult—the gentle ways my family connects to the land and its practices are effortless.
This is the spirit I brought to my work, and what also inspired me to pursue nursing later in life, specifically at the age of 40.
I had two full careers until I returned to Vancouver Community College. My sons, Myles and Matt, became more independent, and that opened the opportunity for my own pursuits. I felt that I had more to give in a meaningful way, and nursing and Indigenous cultural safety stuck to me.
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