CIBC Indigenous Nursing Scholarship
Hello~ my name is Victoria L. Dick (T’at’usayalthim). I’m a proud member of the c̓ išaaʔatḥ First Nation, mother of two, registered nurse, and PhD student at the University of Victoria’s School of Nursing. My family roots connect me to many Indigenous communities including: Tla-o-qui-aht, ʕaaḥuusʔatḥ, Kelsmit, Xwísten, Montana, Yuułuʔiłʔatḥ, Hesquiaht, and Germany.
Inspired by my nurse grandmothers and the love I’ve felt while caring for Elders and family, I’ve spent the last seven years working in community health and research. My doctoral work focuses on Nuu-chah-nulth worldviews, and how Indigenous knowledges can reshape nursing in ways that honour land, culture, and relational care. I believe in nursing that centres justice, sovereignty, and respect, especially through refusal, resurgence, and Indigenous-led ways of health and wellness.
I currently support a few organizations: Research Associate for the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research and the Aboriginal Coalition to End Homelessness; PhD Fellow with the Urban Indigenous Guidance Circle at UVic (Palliative Approaches to Care in Aging and Community Health). I’ve also worked as a Community Health Nurse and led responses during the Covid-19 pandemic, and I have supported Indigenous graduate nursing education and student mentorship for many years.
My work is guided by relational teachings and accountability to community. I continue to learn from community and uplift Indigenous models of care that honour land, culture, and connection.
