Indigenous Nurses Day, April 10, 2022
On April 10, we are delighted to celebrate the inaugural BC Indigenous Nurses Day in honour of Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture (born April 10, 1890), the first Indigenous person in Canada to become a registered nurse.
We are also proud to recognize Rose Casper, the first Indigenous nurse in Western Canada.
Learn more about how to celebrate on April 10 and 11
Day's activities
Promotional poster
Recognition and celebration
Statement from Tarah Reece, NNPBC Indigenous Director
Statement from the NNPBC Board of Directors
Video from
Michael Sandler,
CEO
Video from
Angela Wignall, Director of Professional Practice & Health Policy Implementation
Login to NNPBC
Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture
Charlotte Edith Anderson Monture was born April 10, 1890 on the Six Nations Reserve. She became the first Indigenous person in Canada to be recognized as registered nurse, served in World War 1, and became the first Indigenous woman to vote as a result of the Military Voters Act of 1917. In 1960, when all Indigenous Peoples gained the right to vote, her home served as a polling station helping to enfranchise Indigenous voters. Edith passed away in 1996, the same year the last Indian Hospital and Residential Schools officially closed in Canada. We honour her birth, legacy and advocacy on this historic day.
Rose Casper
Rose Casper of the St'at'imc Nation was the first Indigenous nurse in Western Canada. She attended the Kamloops Indian Residential School and was among the first students to enter high school, graduating in 1952. In 1955 Rose graduated from the St. Josephs School of Nursing located in Victoria, BC. Rose worked in her home community of Shalalth as a nurse for over 50 years. To honour her legacy and service to her community, the Rose Casper Healing Centre was opened in Shalalth in 2003. The Centre remains a fixture in the community offering wellness services that are both traditional and contemporary.