Indigenous Youth Wellness Consultant
Children's Hospital, Canada
Nicole Yawney, or Little Bear of Fishing Lake First Nation in Treaty Four Territory, is the Youth Indigenous Wellness Consultant at Children’s Hospital at LHSC. She is a Registered Social Worker with a Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Regina and a Master of Social Work degree from King’s University College at Western University.
In her role, Nicole spends much of her time supporting the mental health and cultural wellness of Indigenous patients, and in 2022, she received the Canadian Impact Award for her work. She received the 2023 Local Community Contribution Award for her work in at Children's Hospital. She has also led the Realizing Indigenous Spaces project, which will see Indigenous art and healing rooms installed throughout Children’s Hospital at LHSC and co-led the Youth Indigenous Career Fair and Land Based Healing/Nature Prescriptions initiative.
“My parents, grandparents, and great grandparents are residential and day school survivors,” said Nicole. “Every day, I am inspired by my family's strength, personal growth, and dedication to community. I strive to bring this inspiration to my work so that I can help ensure that Children's Hospital is serving Indigenous paediatric patients, families, visitors, and members of Team LHSC in the best way possible.”