June is Indigenous History Month in Canada and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day.
We celebrate the contributions Edith Monture, a pioneering Mohawk nurse who leaves an impressive legacy. Born on April 10, 1890, on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario, Edith Monture was the first Indigenous nurse registered in Canada. Despite facing racial barriers, she pursued her education in the United States, graduating from New Rochelle Nursing School in New York in 1914. Monture served in the United States Army Nurse Corps during World War I, becoming the first Indigenous woman from Canada to serve in the U.S. military. After the war, she continued to work as a nurse and midwife on the Six Nations Reserve until her retirement.
Indigenous nurses play a crucial role in delivering culturally sensitive health care, bridging modern medicine and Indigenous knowledge.
Photo of Edith Monture from the Canadian Encyclopedia
My Grandpa Joe: Learning about Indigenous Veterans through art.
This five-minute video uses a beautiful painting at the Canadian War Museum to unlock the story of Chief Joseph Dreaver. Chief Dreaver was a Veteran of the First and Second World Wars. He was also leader of the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation in Saskatchewan and an advocate for Indigenous Veterans.
