Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
IndspirehonoursNorthernelderslifesworkFormerNWTdocnamedtopAlbertaFamilyPhysicianTuesdayNovember420149NORTHERNERSELDERSByDALICARMICHAELAt97FortMcMurrayresidentElsieYanikhasdedicatedmostofherlifetohelpingoth-ersbeitthroughmentoringyouthprovid-ingspiritualguidanceasaministerpreserv-ingherAboriginalheritageorhelpingoth-erstoleadhealthylifestylesasanadvocateforwellness.ForthesereasonsandmoreapanelofjudgesfromIndspirewhichclaimstobethelargestcontributortoAboriginaleducationinthecountrydecidedtohonourherwiththe2015LifetimeAchievementaward.AtareceptionhostedbytheHonourableAndrewScheerSpeakeroftheHouseofCommonsonOct.28Yanikandherfel-lowwinnersfromacrossthecountrywererecognizedfortheiraccomplishmentswitheaglefeathers.ThisisonlythemostrecentofYaniksaccolades.Sheshadmanymanyawardssaiddaugh-terMarylanYanikwhoresidesinFortSmith.Shesdonealotofworkwiththechurchbe-causeshewasapriestbutshedoesntdothatanymore.Icanteventhinkofalltheawardsbutshehasmany.InAprilofthisyearYanikwasbestowedanhonouraryLawDegreefromtheUniver-sityofAlberta.Inthelead-uptothe2010OlympicWinterGamesshewaschosentocarrytheOlympicTorchthroughhercommunity.Hereffortshavebeenrecog-nizedwithablessingfromPopeJohnPaulIIandaGovernorGeneralsCommemo-rativemedal.ByDALICARMICHAELDr.RitaDahlkewastravelinginsoutheastAsiawhenshegotthenewsthatshewasnamedFamilyPhysicianoftheyearbyherpeersattheCollegeofAlbertaFamilyPhysicians.TheformerHayRiverresidentistakingamuchneededbreakafterprovidingmedicalcaretofamiliesaroundthecountryoverthecourseofher37-yearcareer.HowdoIfeelSurprisedshesaid.IfeellikeIhavejustdonewhatIsawtobemyjobandtherearelotsofdocswhoarelikemesowhymeThankfulthatmycolleagueswhosubmittedtheapplicationsawttodothis.AlthoughithadtobeanMDtodothesubmissionitwasmynursepractitionercol-leagueswhoinitiateditExcited.Iaminthelatterstageofmycareerandsowhataniceaccoladetoreceiveatthistime.ThoughshenowresidesinCalgaryAlta.DahlkespentalargeportionofhercareerinHayRiverwheresheraisedhertwodaugh-tersfrom1981to1998.Duringhertimeinthecommunitysheprovidedanestheticcareandintroducedepi-duralservicesformothersinlabour.ShealsoworkedwithHayRiversalcoholaddictiongroupthelocalwomensshelterandcounsel-lingservicewhentheywerejuststartingup.DahlkewasnamedpresidentoftheNWTMedicalAssociationNWTMAin1987andwhenthatorganizationjoinedtheCanadianMedicalAssociationCMAinthelate1980ssheaddedtoherrolebyjoiningtheCMAHealthPromotionCommittee.In2002Dahlkemovedsouthtakingapo-sitionwiththeCalgaryUrbanProjectCUPSagroupthatworkswithhomelessandmar-ginalizedgroupsinthecity.AmemberoftheChristianMedicalDentalSocietyofCalgaryshesaidwasdrawntoCUPSbecauseoftheworkthattheydo.FormeasaphysicianIreallylikedbeingpartofacommunityhealthcentrethatissomultidisciplinaryandthecareofapatientissharedshesaid.Iwasthemedicaldirectorfor10yearsandthensteppeddownfromthatroleoneyearago.IcontinueustoworkatCUPSasafamilyphysician.Outofalltheworkshesdonewiththeor-ganizationDahlkeismostproudofherac-complishmentsintegratingdifferentlevelsofcareintotheCUPSmodelcreatingamoreaccessibleserviceforthosewhoneedit.AsamedicaldirectorIthinkthatmybig-gestcontributionwastoincorporatemedicalcaremostlybynursepractitionersandnursesrightintoanumberofsheltersshesaid.IalsoincreasedthenumberofspecialistspaediatricsinternalmedicineandotherscomingtotheCUPSclinic.ThespecialistscomingtoCUPSwasimportantasmargin-alizedpeoplehavealotoftroublegettingtoappointmentsinplacesthatarenotcomfort-ableorfamiliar.Dahlkeiswellrespectedbymanyofhercolleagues.Dr.Dahlkepracticesmedicinewithanuncommoncompassionuncompromisingcourageandanauthenticconcernforherpatientsasbothclinicianandpopulation-basedhealthadvocatesaidhercolleagueDr.JazminMarlinga.ShehasrisentothechallengeofcaringforthemarginalizedandthedisenfranchisedwhileatthesametimeadvocatingforandachievingfoundationalsystemicchangeforunderservedpopulationsinAlbertaBritishColumbiaandtheNorth-westTerritories.InhercareerDahlkesaidshehasseensomeofthehighesthighsandthelowestlowsofhumanity.Whilesomemightgetdis-couragedovertimeespeciallyworkingwithdisenfranchisedgroupsasshedoesDahlkesaysitsherclientsthatkeepheroptimisticaboutherjob.IlovewhatIdobecausemostlyIlikepeo-pleDahlkesaid.AsafamilydocIliketogivepeopleinformationandseethemincorporateitintotheirlivesandmakehealthychanges.WhenpeopleareabletomakechangesitispersonallyrewardingandIthinkitiswhatkeepsmegoing.Icanteventhinkofalltheawardsbutshehasmany.MarylanYanikPhotocourtesyofCollegeofAlbertaFamilyPhysiciansNORTHERNERSCAREERSAsafamilydocIliketogivepeopleinformationandseethemincorporateitintotheirlivesandmakehealthychanges.WhenpeopleareabletomakechangesitispersonallyrewardingandIthinkitiswhatkeepsmegoing.Dr.RitaDahlkeEightdecadesofcommunityserviceAftermovingtoFortChipewyanasayoungadultYanikcontinuedtotakeonrolesasacommunityleader.ShetookturnsservingasthepresidentoftheboardforVoiceofNativeWomenofAlbertaaswellasa10-yeartermworkingwiththeYoungOffendersBoard.ShehasalsoworkedfortheNuneeHealthAu-thorityinFortChiphelpingotherstofocusonim-provingtheirwellnessusingaholisticapproach.EveninherexperiencedageYanikisac-tiveinhercommunity.InFortMcMurraytheycallheroutallthetimeMarylansaid.Shedoesopeningprayersforjustabouteverybodytherethemayorwheneveranydignitariescometotown-shesthereforallthat.IndspireisanationalNGOthatfocusesonhelpingAboriginalstudentsachievetheirgoalsbyprovidingeducationalandmentalsupport.For22yearstheorganizationhassoughttorewardthehighestachievingAboriginalpeopleinthecountryawardingindividualswithdisciplinedriveanddetermination.Everyyearajurymadeupofformerwin-nerschoosesoutstandingindividualsfromhundredsofnominationssettlingon10ca-reerachievementawardrecipientsthreeyouthawardrecipientsFirstNationInuitandMtisandonelifetimeachievementrecipient.WhilethewinnerswererecognizedatlastweeksreceptiontheofcialIndspireawardceremonywontbehelduntilFeb.272015attheSouthernAlbertaJubileeAuditoriuminCalgaryAlta.ElsieYanik2015IndspirelifetimeachievementawardwinnercarriestheWinterOlympictorchthroughFortMcMurrayin2010.PhotocourtesyofMarylanYanik