Carole Dawson, a longtime champion of Indigenous wellness and legal rights in B.C., has died from COVID-19, according to the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC).
Dawson, who was 75 and residing in a prolonged-time period treatment centre in Vancouver, died June 21.
A assertion from the UBCIC reported that Dawson played an integral function in increasing equally health treatment and baby welfare for Indigenous households, and was “a champion in holding Canada accountable for the pervasive discrimination contributing to underfunded and inequitable Indigenous health and fitness-treatment programs.”
An elder of the Dzawada’enuxw Country of Kingcome Inlet on B.C.’s Central Coast, she labored at the UBCIC from the organization’s early day as the health and fitness liaison officer and later as the household, young children and health director.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of UBCIC, explained that Dawson, his longtime friend and colleague, was “an Elder, a language speaker, an advocate, a mom, a healer, and a tutorial.”
“She was deeply loved and dependable by our persons … She was a powerhouse of know-how with respect to our community and our management,” he stated.
Grand Main Stewart Phillip, president of UBCIC, wrote that the neighborhood has suffered an “the loss of an Elder, a language speaker, an advocate, a mom, a healer, and a manual” with the demise of Carole Dawson, correct. (Carole Dawson/Fb)
Dawson was a survivor of the St. Michael’s Household University at Warn Bay on Cormorant Island, just off the northeast coastline of Vancouver Island, and spent substantially of her life encouraging others get over trauma and addictions by championing culturally correct well being care for Indigenous persons.
“Carole immediately skilled the trauma of the household faculty working experience, and intimately understood the problems that experienced influenced our men and women. And that’s why she was so powerful in our work,” claimed Phillips.
“She was a walking, living instance of all of these difficulties.”
The statement from the UBCIC mentioned the decline of Dawson was a reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be a danger to Indigenous life and welfare.
“With Carole’s passing, we honour her huge work to improve the wellness results of Indigenous peoples, and we pledge to keep on her get the job done in conquering the difficulties to in depth, culturally suitable Indigenous overall health treatment,” it mentioned.
