- Location
- Health Sciences Building (155 College Street), Room 400
- Series/Type
- DLSPH Event, Faculty/Staff Event, Future Students, U of T Community Event
- Dates
- January 15, 2020 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm
Links
Anishinaabe Nurse and Knowledge Keeper, Vivian Recollet, Welcomes Students Back!
Vivian Recollet is an Anishinaabe Granmother whose spirit name is “Bigasohn Kwe” and she is Turtle Clan from Wikwemikong unceded territory located on Manitoulin Island, Ontario.
Vivian was born and removed from her home land of Wikwemikong First Nation at an early age, she grew up a crown ward of the CCAS due to the relationship disruption of the Residential School that her biological father attended & her biological mother being raised in an orphanage run by nuns. Life was not easy for her as she suffered the loss of her culture, community, family & language. She persevered and was a shy withdrawn person, studied hard & accomplished her educational pursuits, having graduated out of high school and began Nursing at a young age, she moved to Toronto, worked at various hospitals, did some community health nursing, lab work & worked in the Indigenous community under different capacities.
Vivian has been awarded the “The Woman of Distinction Award”, “The Influential Women of Northern Ontario”, the “Medal for Good Citizenship” & “Coupon Award” for her preceptorship of upcoming Nursing Students, her passion lies in the health and culture of her people, she has spent the last twenty years recapturing some of the losses that were taken from her & implementing them into her life and that of her community, she is the proud mother of one son, Josh and grandmother to his little girl, Faith. She equates her success on the knowledge and teachings of her people, if she had not found her way, she would not be where she is at today, it was through her culture that she healed from the impacts of intergenerational trauma suffered by most of the First Nations communities. Culture is Key to the success and wellness of the people, she helper to the Elders, providing teachings and embracing every faucet of the Anishinaabe culture to keep well, including helping with the care taking of Mother Earth.