National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health welcomes Elder to new advisory role

National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health welcomes Elder to new advisory role

June 24, 2024 - Prince George, BC

The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health welcomes a distinguished First Nations Elder to the new role of Elder Advisor. Darlene McIntosh, a member of the Lheidli T’enneh Nation in B.C., will promote understanding of Indigenous culture, knowledge and protocols within the centre. The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH) is a federally funded organization that supports Indigenous public health renewal and health equity through knowledge translation and exchange.

Elder McIntosh has a long history of engagement with learning institutions. She is the Chancellor of the University of Northern B.C. (UNBC) and also the Cultural Advisor at the Aboriginal Resource Centre at the College of New Caledonia in Prince George.

Elder McIntosh was appointed to the ceremonial role of Chancellor at UNBC in 2022. Her appointment followed years of involvement with the university, including providing traditional welcomes at events and celebrations. She also participated in the 2016 ceremony when UNBC and the Lheidli T’enneh Nation signed their first Memorandum of Understanding.

Lheidli T’enneh territory includes the city of Prince George where the main campus of UNBC houses the NCCIH’s offices.

“An important part of our centre’s vision is to be strengthened by the cultures and knowledge of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples,” said Warner Adam, NCCIH Advisory Committee Co-Chair. “We are excited to have a noted Indigenous Elder like Darlene McIntosh to help guide our pursuit of this vision.”

“All of us at the NCCIH welcome and celebrate having the knowledge and wisdom of a First Nations Elder to support our work,” said Dr. Terri Aldred, Co-Chair of the NCCIH’s Advisory Committee. “Elder McIntosh will help us follow one of our guiding principles, which is to incorporate Indigenous learning and holistic approaches.”

“The NCCIH has benefited from powerful and renowned Indigenous stewardship for more than two decades,” said Warner Adam, Advisory Committee Co-Chair. “We welcome the contributions of Dr. Nyce as she helps us build on that strength – both as interim Academic Lead and as a key figure in the search for a successor to this important position.”

My vision to support the National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health (NCCIH) is seen through the eyes of Truth & Reconciliation. I believe collaboration happens through communication, which is of the utmost importance to our Indigenous people. We heal from past injustices through the lands of Mother Earth, the waters, ceremony, and through the seven generations of the past. We are guided by our Ancestors and our Elders…knowing we are all connected through the Web of Life…this is the vision I bring to the NCCIH.

Background

The National Collaborating Centre for Indigenous Health was established in 2005 and is funded through the Public Health Agency of Canada. The NCCIH supports a renewed public health system in Canada that is inclusive and respectful of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. The NCCIH fosters links between evidence, knowledge, practice and policy while advancing self-determination and Indigenous knowledge.

The NCCIH is hosted by the University of Northern BC in Prince George, B.C. in the traditional unceded territory of the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation.