As a child, Marie Martin experienced a largely traditional aboriginal lifestyle. She rode horses, caught gophers and snared rabbits around her hometown of Canyon Creek, a small community just east of Yukon’s Kluane National Park and Reserve. A member of the Wolf Clan of Aishihik First Nation through her mother, Martin never dreamed she would one day be incorporating aspects of her culture into a nursing career.
It was during an early job as a personal care assistant for elders through the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations health department in Haines Junction that Martin first considered a career in nursing. She was inspired by her supervisor, registered nurse Brenda Dedon, who subsequently steered her toward Lakehead University’s Native Nurses Entry Program in Thunder Bay: “Brenda helped me open my eyes to the possibilities.”