Contributor: Rebekah J. Salt

In the United States, as of May, there were 212 reported mass shootings, and the number is steadily rising (Diaz, 2022). In 2019, there were verified 417 mass shootings, 610 in 2020, and 692 in 2021 (Gun Violence Archive, 2022). In 2021 of the 692, a reported 34 of those were in educational institutions (Education Week, 2022).

The Uvalde massacre of 19 innocent little souls and their two dedicated teachers once again caused me to reflect on my purpose and future as an educator. I am saturated and weary of the constant excuses, propaganda, and proposals of strategies that are geared toward imprisoning us in the institutions that were designed to liberate us. I started my graduate journey 25 years ago idealistic and community health focused. My university did not train me to be a combat soldier!

My university taught me to unpack my philosophical backpack. They challenged me to consider my privilege, to explore injustice and inequity, and to advocate for vulnerable populations. I refuse to repack that backpack with the status quo. My university taught me to navigate with a social justice lens and to train nurses to provide compassionate, safe, and culturally sensitive care. My university did not train me to be an assault weapons specialist.

My university taught me boots-on-the-ground strategies and prevention. They trained me to operationalize a community-based approach that promotes health and well-being. I was taught to leave the world a better place than I found it. My university did not train me to be a combat strategist.

My university taught me how to navigate a public health crisis. They trained me to collaborate, educate, vaccinate, and protect students, patients, and the public against threats like  SARS-CoV-2. My university did not train me in combat maneuvers to protect students, patients, and the public from bullets.

I refuse to carry a backpack filled with fear and despair. Right now, I do not know how this latest mass shooting will affect policy or if anyone will listen, but what I do know is that my university did not train me to be a combat solider!

Sources

Diaz, J. (2022, May 25). 27 school shootings have taken place so far this year. https://www.npr.org/2022/05/24/1101050970/2022-school-shootings-so-far

Education Week. (2022, May 25). School shootings this year. How many and where. Retrieved from https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-this-year-how-many-and-where/2022/01

Gun Violence Archive. (2022). Gun violence archives. Past summary ledgers. https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/past-tolls

About Rebekah Salt

Dr. Salt brings 39 years of nursing experience to her current role as an educator and nurse researcher. She earned a master’s degree in Cross Cultural and Community Health Nursing and a PhD in nursing, focusing on social determinants of health. Dr. Salt teaches community health and works with vulnerable populations using a Community-Based Participatory Research and community engaged approach. Her work has been disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at regional, national, and international conferences.  

Contributors:

Catherine Tanski (Kitselas/Kitsumkalum Nation), RN,
Indigenous Leadership Circle Chair, BC Nurses’ Union.
Christina Chakanyuka (Métis), RN, MN, PhD Student,
University of Victoria.
Nikki Rose Hunter Porter (St’uxwtews),, RN, MN Student,
Thompson Rivers University.
Michelle Padley (Métis), RN, MN Student,
Thompson Rivers University.
Mona Lisa Bourque Bearskin (Beaver Lake Cree Nation), RN, PhD, BC
Chair Indigenous Health Research in Nursing,
Associate Professor, Thompson Rivers University.

Participate in Social Media Events for Sunday, April 10^th
https://www.nnpbc.com/pdfs/events/nnpbc/2022/ind/2022-Celebrating-Indigenous-Nurses-Day.pdf

Attend Virtual Celebration Events on Monday, April 11^th
https://inside.tru.ca/events/event/bc-indigenous-nurses-day-celebration/  

In 1971, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) designated May 12 as International Nurses Day on the birthday of Florence Nightingale (1820-1910). Since that time, Nurses Week has been attached to the week of May 12 worldwide.

In light of provincial and national efforts to dismantle a widely recognized colonial healthcare system, many Indigenous nurses are calling for Indigenous Nurses Day to be held separate and apart from mainstream Nurses Week. From an Indigenous health viewpoint, Nightingale built the nursing model largely upon Eurocentric and paternalistic views, and her reign was during the height of British Imperial colonization upon Indigenous Peoples. Further, it was Nightingale’s research which served as the template for nursing models implemented in Canada’s Indian Hospitals and throughout segregated healthcare services, a legacy that still haunts Indigenous survivors. It is our collective position that continuing to celebrate Florence Nightingale as the “beacon of nursing” does a disservice to Indigenous nurses who do not align with her vision. The New Zealand Nurses Organization has already taken a clear position on this (see link below).

Beginning this year, we are celebrating Indigenous Nurses Day on April 10, the birthday of Edith Monture – the first Indigenous person to practice as a registered nurse within the Canadian healthcare system in 1914. We aim to elevate the voices of Indigenous nurses and bring attention to their important role in improving Indigenous health equity. For example, did you know that St’at’imx nurse Rose Casper was the first First Nations person to become a nurse in Western Canadian in 1955?

We ask that you join the Indigenous Leadership Circle (ILC) at the British Columbia Nurses’ Union and the Indigenous Health Nursing Research Team along with community partners in our endeavor to promote the recognition of our past, present, and future Indigenous nurses on April 10 as a new official date. On this day, Indigenous nurses and allies can proudly celebrate the history and legacy of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nurses! This celebration will include Indigenous guest speakers, sharing circles, and stories shared by the families of Edith Monture and Rose Casper.

This event is in the spirit of the United Nations Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, and the recent In Plain Sight Report which detailed entrenched racism in BC healthcare.

On behalf of Indigenous Leadership Circle with BCNU and the Indigenous Health Nursing Research Team, we thank you for your time in considering our vision and standing in solidarity with Indigenous Peoples on the frontlines of healthcare.

Warmly in wellness,

Catherine Tanski RN
ILC Provincial Chair
BC Nurses’ Union

Tribute to Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture, (1890 – 1996)

“Edith” was born on April 10 and belonged to the Six Nations reserve in Ohsweken near Brantford, Ontario. She was a member of the Mohawk tribe and the youngest of eight siblings. When in her early 20s, Edith applied to several nursing schools in Ontario. However, Canada’s Indian Act placed restrictions on the pursuit of higher education by all Status Indians and Edith was refused acceptance. Edith instead applied in the United States and was accepted into the Rochelle Nursing School in New York. Edith became a registered nurse in 1914, after graduating first in her class. Edith was the first registered nurse of Indigenous descent in Canadian history.

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Download the Indigenous Nurses Day Poster here. (PDF)

Download the Event Schedule here (PDF)
REGISTER HERE

For More Information contact indigenous@bcnu.org or IHNR@tru.ca

Associated Links (6)

Additional Associated Links (6)

Edith Anderson Monture: The 1st First Nations Registered Nurse in Canada
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/edith-anderson-monture-indigenous-nurses-day-1.5126441

St’at’imx Nurse Rose Casper Retires After 50 Years of Service: First Native Nurse in Western Canada (FNHA, 2013, p. 6)
Link: https://lnkd.in/gBEW4538

21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality (REVIEW)
Link: https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/books/21-things-you-may-not-know-about-the-indian-act

In Search of the Truth: Uncovering Nursing’s Involvement in Colonial Harms and Assimilative Policies Five Years Post Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Link: https://witness.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/default/article/view/51

NZ Nurses Organization: Why we aren’t celebrating Florence’s birthday
Link: https://www.croakey.org/nz-nurses-organisation-why-we-arent-celebrating-florences-birthday/

Nursing Clio: Beyond Florence (Series)
Link: https://nursingclio.org/topics/beyond-florence/

Organized as part of the project “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing.” We invite all white nurses to join us for these courageous conversions, focusing on our own often unrecognized complicity in sustaining racism.  Nurses of color are welcome, but the discussion will focus on white nurses’ accountability.

Attendance at all three sessions is encouraged, but not required. Peggy Chinn and Christina Nyirati will lead discussions that will focus on three themes:

• Coming to terms with the history of white supremacy in nursing
• Recognizing and interrupting microaggressions
• Changes that we can enact in our interactions with people of color.

Lucinda Canty and Valorie Taylor, co-organizers of “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing” will be present to provide feedback and direction during and following our meetings; they are passionate about supporting the change for white nurses. They bring deep compassion to this process, and join us in supporting accountability for real change in nursing.

Register here for the meetings – the same zoom connection will apply to all three weeks of the series. 

• When: Mar 26, Apr 2, Apr 9, 2022 04:00 to 5:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) 
• Register in advance for this meeting:
  • https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUrfu-trTMuHdERXMmjGVe7hnnt5eMr759Z
• After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

We have established two Google email groups to improve communication in our community of nurse anti-racism activists!

One is a general group for all nurses – overdue-reckoning@googlegroups.com. We will use this email group to announce dates and registration details for all of our events, and to send general information supporting anti-racism activism in nursing.

Another email group is for networking and support among nurses of color – nurses-of-color-reckoning-on-racism@googlegroups.com.

Use this form to request to join both or either list:

Here are instructions on how to join either or both of these groups directly from your browser https://support.google.com/groups/answer/1067205?hl=en

We will continue to post all of this information here on the blog – and on the “Overdue Reckoning” page.

Most importantly – we want to stay in touch and create spaces for all nurses dedicated to creating an antiracist future for nursing! Our virtual tools during this pandemic have made this possible, and will continue far into the future! We hope for times we can meet face-to-face as well — but will keep our focus on nurturing our virtual community.

Ahh … our break has been wonderful – and productive! As we promised, those of us on the organizing team have engaged in a “retreat” – meeting for several hours-long sessions to renew our vision of “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing” – and we are ready to start up again! We will continue our two monthly zoom sessions – the first Saturday, and the last Saturday of every month. For September because of the holiday on the first Saturday, we will postpone to the 2nd Saturday, September 11

Each month will have a focus – the September focus is students! Students, please join us to form networks of support, to explore how to address and confront issues around racism, and how to create new possibilities for an anti-racist future. Practicing nurses and educators, join our discussions to support the students, to learn what they envision for their education, and explore anti-racist actions in nursing education.

Each meeting will have its own zoom registration; once your register you will receive the information for the meeting. If you lose the zoom information just register again! Here is the information for our September sessions:

September 11th –

4 – 5:30 pm Eastern – “Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing”

Discussions led by Lucinda Canty and other nurses of color exploring anti-racism activism in nursing. 

• Register in advance –
  • https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAoc-GqqjIpGNOD7uoe6jepbk3_zAxqCw37
• After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

September 25th –

4 – 5:30 pm Eastern – BILNOC Reckoning with Racism

Bringing together Black, Indigenous, Latinx and other Nurses of Color to explore avenues for further antiracism actions. These discussions include ideas for personal, family, workplace, and larger community and organizational change. All are welcome to join with the understanding that BILNOC nurses will take the lead in these discussions.

• Register in advance for this meeting:
  • https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAud-qgqzwiGNa6bre3IlDdszz5kwKVwDvp
• After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

To inspire us as we look forward to September, here is one more short video that gives a great overview related to the work we are doing!