Indigenous Student Support Team

Kim Halliday: Indigenous Student Liaison

The Indigenous Student Liaison within the Faculty of Nursing serves as a primary point of contact and provides ongoing, culturally centred support to Indigenous nursing students from application through to graduation. This role acts as both a trusted advisor and an advocate, supporting students throughout their educational journey while fostering a safe, inclusive, and welcoming environment that reflects Indigenous values and strong connections to community.

Through one-on-one meetings, cohort gatherings, and drop-in connections, Indigenous nursing students have access to dedicated support and guidance tailored to their needs. The Indigenous Student Liaison connects students to a wide range of resources that support academic success, including emergency funding from application to graduation, referrals for academic accommodations and tutoring, mental health and wellness support, and opportunities to participate in events offered by the Faculty of Nursing and across campus.

Our team is there to guide you to the resources, connect you with the people and services for your success in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing ( BScN)  program.

Janine Olivier RN, MN : Indigenous Academic Coach, Assistant Professor (Teaching)

The Indigenous Academic Coach provides individualized academic support to Indigenous nursing students both on campus and within rural and Indigenous community routes. This role is dedicated to supporting students’ academic success throughout the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program.

Students can work with the Indigenous Academic Coach through regularly scheduled one-on-one or small group tutorials focused on course comprehension, test and exam preparation, presentations, and scholarly writing. Support is also available for developing confidence and reflective practice through discussions related to clinical experiences. 

In addition, the Indigenous Academic Coach assists students in strengthening essential academic skills, including notetaking, time management, effective study habits, learning strategies, and academic planning, to support long-term success and retention in the program.

Indigenous nursing students will receive a welcome email upon commencement of their BScN program for in-person and zoom sessions.

Dr. Michelle Scott Paul: Associate Dean, Indigenous Education, Associate Professor (Teaching)

Dr. Michelle Scott Paul, Anaatsa'poopaki (Pretty Plume Woman)  is a proud L’nu (Mi’kmaw) and Irish/English woman whose ancestral home is Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland). She grew up in Tkaronto (Toronto) where she received a BA in Sociology from UToronto and has called Moh’kins’tsis (Calgary) home since 2000. She completed her MEd at the University of Saskatchewan, and her EdD at Werklund School of Education at UCalgary.

Michelle is committed to opening up spaces within the western academy to centre Indigenous voices and Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing - to bring community together to learn alongside each other at the fire of all our relations about the historical and ongoing legacy of colonization in the place we now know as Canada and to provide the space at this fire for people to begin to understand themselves, their world and the future they want to create together, in a good way, on the path of reconciliation.

As associate dean, Michelle supports and manages the Indigenous Support team. Leading with care, and the understanding that people bring their whole selves to their work and studies, the team has a sense of safety, belonging and a shared purpose. Through attentive listening, thoughtful guidance, and clear communication, they are empowered to do their work in a good way, while honouring Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.

Elder Evelyn Good Striker 

Evelyn Good Striker is Lakota Dakota from Standing Buffalo First Nation in Saskatchewan and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. She earned both her Bachelor and Master of Education from the University of Lethbridge, and has been in the education profession for many years. Evelyn has been generously supporting the Faculty of Nursing in curriculum development, course delivery, and scholarship for the past three years. She loves working with students, educators, and anyone who wants to engage in the excitement of learning.

Elder Dr. Grandmother Doreen Spence

Known as Doctor Grandmother to many, Doreen Spence OC, is a Cree Elder who was born and raised on the Good Fish Lake Reservation. She is also a member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation as her father was from Saddle Lake. Grandmother Doreen retired from nursing after having spent many years nursing in general (active treatment) hospitals. She was one of the first Indigenous women to obtain a Practical Nursing Certificate, leading her to a nursing career that spanned over 40 years. Grandmother Doreen is an internationally respected traditional Cree Elder whose teachings have led her around the world, including as a committee member on the working group that developed the draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

Indigenous Gathering Space and Smudge Room

The Faculty of Nursing has a designated space for Indigenous nursing students to gather, study and is a smudge-friendly room.  Smudging serves as a respectful and inclusive practice that encourages mindfulness, balance, and a positive atmosphere. By incorporating it into our workplace and academic spaces, our university better supports intercultural inclusion. 

It supports intercultural understanding and aligns with ii-taapohtop  and the University’s commitment to Indigenization in teaching, learning, and research. As part of reconciliation, smudging fosters a culture of respect and plays a vital role in creating a more inclusive and respectful academic community. Students are welcome to