Land-based course a powerful experience

July 24, 2025

They trekked to a waterfall, learned about the local territories, native plants and food sovereignty, and harvested invasive species from traditional medicine places.

Ten Indigenous nursing master’s students came together from universities across BC for a four-day learning experience in May as part of UVic School of Nursing’s newly co-developed Indigenous Wellness stream, INDW 527B.

The experience was an opportunity to critically engage and contemplate how to incorporate Indigenous knowledge systems into their own personal and professional practices.

Students enrolled in an affiliated Indigenous Graduate Education in Nursing (I-GEN) program at one of five partner institutions across BC learned from Coast Salish community members supported by UVic School of Nursing community leaders and faculty members.

Exploring Indigenous wellness 

Associate Teaching Professor Leanne Kelly teaches in UVic’s Master of Nursing - Indigenous Wellness Stream. She says Indigenous nursing students and educators engaged in inquiry that explored being in good relation; community engagement; land, water, food and medicine; and respectful reciprocal relationality.

The course was facilitated by Cree nursing scholar Lisa Bourque Bearskin and Knowledge Holder Colleen Seymour from Tkʼemlúps te Secwépemc.

Students spent time in W̱SÁNEĆ territory with Matriarch Tracy Underwood, also a UVic faculty member, and Romaine Underwood, storyteller and community educator.

They were invited to the Cowichan territory, where they were welcomed by Cowichan Elders and Knowledge Holder Doreen Peter, as well as food sovereignty advocate and Knowledge Holder Jared Williams.

Métis Elder Barb Hulme also accompanied the students to an afternoon session making medicine bags at the Victoria Native Friendship Center, where they learned about the extensive Indigenous health programs available and connected with urban knowledge holders.

Their last day was spent on campus learning about A Place of Medicine project with UVic’s first Indigenous Land Steward, Loreisa Lepine, from Songhees Nation.

Transformative experience

For Crystal Point, the most powerful part of her experience at UVic was to learn from so many Indigenous nurses, educators, Elders, guest speakers and her peers.

Point, a final-year student from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver), described her I-GEN courses as impactful and inspiring. The land-based learning experience in Victoria was a highlight of her master’s program. 

“It was a transformative experience in that it helped me on a personal, professional and academic level,” she says. “So many amazing memories and genuine connections that I will cherish for my lifetime.”

I-GEN is a research-informed provincial umbrella initiative between Indigenous communities and five institutions—UVic, UBC Vancouver, UBC Okanagan, Thompson Rivers University and Trinity Western University.

The master’s program for Indigenous nurses delivered at each university is supported and funded by the BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Indigenous Peoples' Health.