Madeleine Kētēskwew Dion Stout was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, at the 2:00 p.m. ceremony on Wednesday, June 10 “in recognition of her outstanding contributions as an advocate for the rights of Indigenous peoples, health reform, health education, development of public policy, and an improved health care system for all Canadians.”
A Cree speaker born and raised on Alberta’s Kehewin First Nation, Madeleine Kētēskwew Dion Stout is a leader in the health field.
A registered nurse with a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Lethbridge and a Master of Arts degree in international affairs from Carleton University, Ms. Dion Stout now serves on several Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal committees that address Aboriginal health. She is the past president of the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada and in 2007 was appointed to the Mental Health Commission of Canada.
A former Canadian Studies professor at Carleton, she was the founding director of the university’s Centre for Aboriginal Education, Research and Culture. She is the president of Dion Stout Reflections Inc., and adopts a Cree lens in her research, writing and lectures on First Nations health.
Her dedication to her field has earned her numerous awards, including an Assiniwikamik Award from the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, a Centennial Award from the Canadian Nurses Association, and a National Aboriginal Achievement Award and a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Lethbridge.