Strategic Consulting at the School of Nursing (Ongoing)
Under the guidance of Tania Dick, the School’s Adjunct Professor and Strategic Advisor in Nursing and Indigenous Health, the Indigenous Cultural Safety (ICS) Committee is currently advancing several strategic initiatives. These include:
- Evaluating the Gradual Entry Program, a program that expands entrance pathways for Indigenous RNs and RPNs into graduate education;
- Assessing opportunities for growth and learning among faculty members within the School of Nursing (SoN);
- Developing land-based curricular capacity
- Engaging with faculty candidates regarding their knowledge and experience in Indigenous Cultural Safety
Indigenous Nursing Collective (2025-onward)
We are currently working towards launching the Indigenous Nursing Collective here at the UBCV School of Nursing – an intergenerational circle of support that connects Indigenous nursing students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members.
More details on how to get involved will be shared soon, and we look forward to welcoming you into the circle.
Indigenous Strategic Initiative: Community Building Series (2023-2025)
The Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Fund Grant is part of UBC’s institutional-wide initiative to decolonize and Indigenous academic practices and spaces. It provides an important funding source for context-specific initiatives aimed at fostering deeper engagement with Indigenous knowledge, traditions, and perspectives.
In our context, the ISI Grant has played a critical role in catalyzing relationship-building among Indigenous students, faculty, and staff. The ISI grant provided the resources needed to create spaces where connections could grow authentically — spaces grounded in traditional teachings, storytelling, and shared learning. These gatherings have become the foundation for our ongoing efforts to build a safe and inclusive environment where both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members can learn, unlearn, and grow together.
This vision was realized in a series of cedar weaving workshop guided by xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) artist, Rita Kompst. During the Spring of 2024, students, staff from Student Services Office and Clinical Skills Lab, and faculty came together to learn and weave in-tandem to celebrate graduation of Indigenous nursing students in the School.
During each session, Rita shared teachings about Coast Salish weaving traditions and guided the group through the process of cedar weaving, offering her rich experience in harvesting cedar bark and working with traditional dyes with our group. Through these shared experiences, our community not only gained a deeper appreciation for Musqueam traditional practices, but also created lasting memories of joy and mutual understanding.
Activities like this have laid the foundation for the Indigenous Nursing Collective—where we’ve found great values in relationship, reciprocity, and shared learning.
Indigenous Strategic Initiatives: Poster Summary
