https://www.cna-aiic.ca/fr/blogs/ic-contenu/2026/04/10/declaration-journee-des-infirmieres-autochtones
Statement from Dr. Kimberly LeBlanc
President, Canadian Nurses Association
Indigenous Nurses Day – April 10, 2026
On April 10, we mark Indigenous Nurses Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis nurses across Canada. This day honours the legacy of Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture, a Kanien’kehà:ka woman and the first Indigenous registered nurse in Canada. Her leadership and service continue to inspire all nurses across the country.
As nurses, it is important that we recognize Indigenous nurses and how they strengthen our profession through their knowledge, leadership, and connection to their communities. They advance strength-based approaches to care, integrate cultural knowledge into practice, and foster culturally safer health-care environments where individuals, families, and communities are treated with dignity and respect. Their leadership improves health outcomes and enriches nursing across the country.
Watch this conversation featuring Métis nurse leader Evan Accettola, who shares reflections on the significance of Indigenous Nurses Day and the path toward Reconciliation.
Indigenous Nurses Day also serves as a reminder of our shared responsibility. As nurses, we are called to confront the ongoing impacts of colonialism and systemic racism within health systems. We must continue to listen, learn, and act to advance Truth and Reconciliation.
The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) is committed to this work. Through CNA’s and NVision Insight Group’s cultural awareness course The Path, we guide the nursing profession toward Truth and Reconciliation and support meaningful change across our systems. Our Reconciliation Framework, in draft, will further outline the concrete steps we are taking as an organization to uphold the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and create culturally safer health systems. We are aiming to launch this framework later in 2026, and we thank the members of our Indigenous Advisory group for their guidance and support in this endeavour.
The first Anti-Indigenous Racism Knowledge Sharing Event, held in September 2025, marked an important step in addressing anti-Indigenous racism within the nursing and health systems. The virtual gathering brought together health-care professionals, policymakers, and community leaders from across the country to share knowledge, experiences, and practical strategies to advance equity and foster culturally safe care. We also encourage readers to check out the 5th Indigenous Health Nursing Research Summit, upcoming in October 2026, hosted by the CIHR Indigenous Research chairs in nursing.
Today and every day, we celebrate Indigenous nurses for their strength, advocacy, and compassion. We thank them for the essential role they play in shaping a more equitable and inclusive health system for all.