Evelyn Voyageur, Ph.D and Nursing Excellence Award recipient

Aboriginal Nurse, The, Summer 2003

Evelyn is of the Kwa-kwa-ka-wak Nation and from the Dzawadaineuk tribe in British Columbia. She has four children (Joy, Carl, Ivan, and Ernest), 13 grandchildren, 7 great grand-daughters, and 1 great-grandson. Evelyn speaks Kwak-Kwa-la fluently.

Forty years ago, Evelyn returned to school: "I did not ever think I would continue to obtain a PhD. I started back because my husband had died and left me with three children to raise," she said. Evelyn recalls that she went to residential school during a time when students were made to leave-off schooling once she/he turned 16 years or reached grade 8: "There was no encouragement to continue our education in those days".

An inspiration for future & current nursing students...

"I started to upgrade through correspondence when I knew that I had to be the sole support of my children. Then I went to Victoria to attend the Vocational School. I completed my grade 10 and took up Practical Nurses' training. While I was completing my grade 10, I was awarded $100.00 from DIAND for excellent grades; later, the I.O.D.E. provided $50.00 for excelling in the traning."

Dr. Voyageur then worked in hospitals in Victoria until she met her husband-to-be, Ernie. Both Evelyn and Ernie continued school. "My desire then was to work in our own communities, but I needed to upgrade my education," she recalled. "I took my grades 11 and 12 and still worked."

Evelyn Voyageur then entered Langara Community College nursing school. She recalls: "I had trouble with an instructor who failed me on my bedside work, yet I had excelled in my training. Since then, the instructor has apologized for unfairness." Evelyn went on from Langara to apply at Douglas College after the college challenged the Practical Nurses to take tests to qualify to continue to become RN's - this required another year at school.

"I was one of the top 10 out of 100 applicants who took the challenge tests. I will be ever grateful to all the instructors I had in Douglas College who gave me the chance to become a Registered Nurse."

Evelyn began to see the problems of First Nation Nations communities as more than just about physical health: "I have worked in B.C. and in Alberta, both in First Nations' communities and in hospitals. I began to question why our people don't look after themselves better. I started to really look for answers. I have learned the problems we nurses encounter in the villages are not just physical, but holistic - mental, spiritual, and emotional as well. I have learned that much of what we are going through - the dysfunction, abuse, and violence - are a result of colonization. When I realized this, I decided to go further for my degree in Nursing."

Once again, Evelyn Voyageur took up distance education through the University of Victoria. "Then, I decided I wanted to complete it quicker, so I went for 3 semesters for my BScN." For this, Voyageur was awarded $15,000 from the Provincial branch of Aboriginal health.

After returning to work, she realized that there was much more to learn about the dysfunctions in the communities. "I decided to go further," Evelyn recalls. "I had heard about Bastyr University, Leadership Institute of Seattle. I had a supervisor who went there and raved about it. So I applied and got accepted." Commuting between Port Hardy and Seattle every 6 weeks for 2 years was well worth it, according to her: "I am glad I applied to this Institute because I healed from the wounds I had from the residential school. I denied having these [wounds], but the pain did surface as I studied how to help others."

Evelyn received her Masters in Behavioural Science in 1998.

One university course in particular, called "Spirituality, Health and Medicine," had a strong impact on Evelyn. "This course enhanced my learning about the dysfunction in our communities.

"The more I listened to the horror stories told by survivors of colonization and the schools, the more I wanted to study the topic."

Once more, Evelyn applied to a university that offered distance learning. She enrolled in Senior University International on the recommendation of a friend and colleague. Evelyn is especially glad for the availability of distance education, "because I needed to work full-time while studying".

On April 15, 2003, Evelyn Voyageur successfully defended her dissertation thus fulfilling the requirements for her Ph.D. But that was just the beginning of a very memorable week for her.

"Wow, What a week!"

"A day or two after I had successfully defended my PhD dissertation, I received a call from Ottawa - I was told I had won the Nursing Excellence award from the First Nations and lnuit Health Branch. All I could say was, Oh my God!' I remember pacing the floor as the woman calling from Ottawa told me about it."

Earlier in the year, two A.N.A.C. members, Jeannette Watts and Indigo Sweetwater had mentioned to Evelyn that they were submitting her name for this award. On asking her if she would consent to being nominated, Voyageur told her colleagues and fellow A.N.A.C. members, "Oh sure, go ahead," never really thinking that she would actually win the award: "I did not think I would win, but I did. Wow, what a week!"