Celebrating Indigenous Nurses Day – Culture is Care: Honouring L’nu Nurses in Nova Scotia
Press Release
Today, on Indigenous Nurses Day, we take time to honour and celebrate the nurses in our communities who are not only providing
care, but also carrying forward culture, knowledge, and strength. L’nu nurses are more than healthcare workers – they continue to lead, care, and advocate for their communities through every stage of life. From community clinics to leadership tables, their presence has shaped and strengthened healthcare for the better.
It’s a day to recognize the long journey of Indigenous people in healthcare and the trailblazers who made this journey possible. One of those being Sister Elizabeth Veronica Matthews, a Mi’kmaw nurse from Eskasoni First Nation.
Sister Elizabeth Veronica Matthews
Sister Veronica was one of the first Indigenous registered nurses in Nova Scotia, she dedicated most of her career to making change and improving healthcare for Indigenous communities. Through her work with the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, the Eskasoni Health Board, and Cancer Care Nova Scotia, she shaped policies that prioritized Indigenous voices in healthcare decision-making.
She did it with grace, humility, and deep love for-
her people. Whether she was advocating for better services, mentoring young nurses, or standing firm in her belief that care must be grounded in culture, Sister Veronica’s legacy lives on in the policies she helped shape, the programs she founded,
and the countless lives she touched.
At Tajikeimik, we are proud to continue that work alongside a growing team of passionate and deeply committed L’nu nurses: Julie Francis, Jenny Morgan, Erin Holmes, Lucinda Googoo, Courtney Pennell, and Emily Peter-Paul. Each of these women brings unique experience, knowledge, and community connection to their work, and each is helping to shape a future where Indigenous health is led by Indigenous voices.
Julie Francis, Director of L’nu Nursing, leads the overall vision for strengthening and supporting the Indigenous nursing workforce in Nova Scotia. For over 12 years, she’s cared for and served her community – an experience that now drives her mission to grow and support the next generation of L’nu nurses.
“My community has taught me so much about their needs and strengths,” Julie says. “Now my job is to help create more L’nu nurses, which will improve the health and wellness of the Mi’kmaq Nation – in our homes, our hospitals, and across the health system.”
Jenny Morgan, Program Lead for Cultural Safety and Community Care Transitions, although she is no longer a practicing nurse, that doesn’t stop her from working to make sure that Mi’kmaq people feel safe and respected when they access healthcare. She’s helping health systems understand what cultural safety really means
– and how we can design care that honours our people, our histories, and our stories.
IHT5
