Madeleine Kétéskwēw Dion Stout Obituary:Faculty of Applied Science UBC Nursing Mourns An ICON In Health Care
It is with a heavy heart that we learn of the passing of Madeleine Kétéskwēw Dion Stout. We honour the life, legacy, and profound contributions of a nurse, Cree speaker, preeminent scholar, and Indspire’s 2010 Health Laureate whose work fundamentally transformed Indigenous health care across Turtle Island.
Her journey was one of extraordinary resilience and purpose. A survivor of the Blue Quills Residential School, she became one of the first Indigenous women in Canada to graduate from a university nursing program. This was not merely a personal achievement but the first step in a lifelong mission to shift health care toward Indigenous self-determination and respect.
Madeleine’s career was a tapestry of impactful roles: a frontline nurse in hospital and community settings on the Piikani Nation, a special advisor to the federal Minister of Health, and the inaugural Director of the Indian and Inuit Health Careers Program. She carried her Cree lens into academia, teaching at Carleton University and serving as Director of the Centre for Aboriginal Education, Research and Culture. Her national influence expanded through leadership as President of the Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada (now the Canadian Indigenous Nurses Association), Vice-Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, and member of the National Forum on Health.
Guided by the wisdom of her grandfather and her earliest encounters with caring nurses, her work was always rooted in the values of her Kehewin Cree Nation: hard work, community relevance, and profound respect for all kinship ties. In her later years, she increasingly reclaimed her Indigenous name, Kétéskwēw, symbolizing the integration of her identity into her life’s work.
Her numerous honours, including the Order of Canada and honorary doctorates from multiple universities, speak to her national stature. Yet, her most enduring legacy is carried forward by the generations of Indigenous health professionals she inspired and the systems she helped reform. Madeleine Kétéskwēw Dion Stout walked a path of resilience, excellence, and service, leaving an indelible mark on nursing, public health, and reconciliation. We give thanks for her life, her teachings, and her unwavering commitment. Her spirit and leadership will continue to guide the pursuit of health equity for Indigenous Peoples for generations to come.
