The FNHA is currently accepting applications for the January 2025 cohort of Raising the Canoe. Apply here or email students@fnha.ca before November 17.

Sara Daigle-Stevens' traditional names are Yamu Ɂakiⱡ nuhu (Smoking Star in Ktunaxa) and Kwik-ga (Noble Eagle Woman in Liğʷiłdaxʷ). She is ɁamakɁis Ktunaxa, Liğʷiłdaxʷ, and X̱aayda, with some mixed European ancestry. Living and working on her traditional territory of the Kwakwaka'wakw and Liğʷiłdaxʷ people as a regional addictions specialist for the FNHA brings her a deep sense of gratitude.

Daigle-Stevens has long felt a calling to work in mental health and addictions. At the age of 15, the impacts of colonization and intergenerational trauma led her to attend a youth day treatment program to support her own healing. This marked the beginning of both her personal journey toward wellness and her professional path in the field of mental health and addictions.

When asked what inspired her to pursue a career in addictions, Daigle-Stevens reflects on a period of deep contemplation and prayer. "I thought about it. Prayed about it," she shares. "I asked myself, 'What can I do to use the gifts the Creator gave me?' I feel like I'm a compassionate person and I'm really heart-based. And I think those are gifts from the Creator… I feel like I was guided to work in mental health."

"Working in addictions feels like something I'm truly aligned with. I grew up surrounded by addiction, with many of my family members struggling with the Spirit of addiction all throughout my life. This work allows me to use my empathy, compassion, and the knowledge I gained through my nursing education in a space where I can advocate for and support other First Nations people."

With a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Daigle-Stevens also participated in Raising the Canoe - First Nations Student Program (FNSP) over the past year, gaining invaluable experience as part of the Mental Health and Wellness Clinical Services team. Now, she hopes to inspire other First Nations students to consider applying for the program.

She says that students should apply “if they have a passion for Indigenous health, being a part of positive change and they want to work in a healthy environment." Daigle-Stevens says, “I feel like it just opens a lot of good doors for folks, whatever their goals are, whether it's going further in the FNHA or becoming an entrepreneur or something else."

During her undergraduate studies, Daigle-Stevens faced systemic racism and discrimination. She has always spoken up respectfully, though this created challenges for her. Initially, she envisioned a career as a psychiatric nurse working at the local hospital, but her experiences in school ultimately led her in a different direction—to the FNSP.

“It happened organically and I feel like it was really led by the Creator. I needed a safe place to be, to heal, and to do what I love. And, I love mental health."

Daigle-Stevens values the culturally safe and supportive environment of her team, where she has learned new skills and connected with leaders in healthcare. She started her Master of Science in Nursing this September, and she feels that her time in the FNSP has prepared her for the next stage of her journey.

“Advocacy is a part of who I am. Being able to share my lived and living experience as someone who's First Nations, who's been in treatment, and who has a degree, with people who are making changes in healthcare—that's just so impactful and powerful. I feel very grateful and so privileged to be a part of the FNHA."​