Holly Prince Receives Three Awards in June

We have exciting news to share – CERAH’s own Holly Prince has received three awards in the month of June!

Inclusion Vanguard Award

Holly Prince has received the Inclusion Vanguard Award at the annual Canadian Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award Ceremony on June 1 in Toronto.

Holly is an Anishinaabekwe and a member of Opwaaganisiniing in Northwestern Ontario. She has a master’s degree in Social Work and is a PhD candidate in Educational Studies at Lakehead University. She is the Lead for the Indigenous People’s Health and Aging Division at the Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health at Lakehead University, where she works as a Project Manager. A part of her role involves planning, implementing, and evaluating palliative care education and research for Indigenous peoples across Canada.

“I am extremely excited to have been awarded this honour and to be part of a community of such impactful leaders whose contributions help make Canada more equitable, diverse, and inclusive,” Prince said.

Her research focuses on decolonial and Indigenist education, Indigenous health, and community-based research. She has devoted the last 20 years to advancing the right of Indigenous peoples’ access to culturally appropriate and equitable palliative care and has mobilized her efforts as a national champion of human rights and dignity for people at the end of life.

“I feel humbled and extremely responsible as an Indigenous scholar, ensuring that my work responds to community needs and contributes to more equitable health care for Indigenous peoples,” she said. “I want to say miigwetch to my colleagues and peers who nominated me. Knowing that I have their support and dedication makes me a better person and makes the journey such a positive and rewarding experience.”

Holly’s work is guided by Elders and Knowledge Carriers and responds to the identified needs of Indigenous communities. It acknowledges that Indigenous peoples must lead the way forward in developing approaches to caring for people at the end of life to achieve equitable and culturally safer care.

Holly traveled to Toronto for the ceremony with her husband and Dr. Mary Lou Kelley, a retired professor and researcher, who she has worked closely with.

Carmelita Lawlor Lectureship in Palliative Care Award

On June 11, 2023, Holly Prince was honoured with the Carmelita Lawlor Lectureship in Palliative Care from the Division of Palliative Care, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, at the Hospice Palliative Care Ontario conference. During the event, she presented a plenary titled “Walking Alongside Indigenous Peoples who are Seriously Ill: Addressing the Need for Culturally Safer Palliative Care.”

The award was established in 1992 to recognize and support an exceptional individual to deliver the lectureship during the annual Hospice and Palliative Care Ontario Conference. A search committee has been tasked with identifying the annual recipient. In 2017, Dr. Mary Lou Kelley, a Professor Emeritus from Lakehead University’s School of Social Work and one of the founding Directors at CERAH, was honoured with this prestigious award.

Holly has devoted the last 20 years to advancing the right of Indigenous peoples’ access to culturally appropriate and equitable palliative care and is a champion of human rights and dignity for people at the end of life. Her leadership in this area has a tremendous impact across Ontario and beyond. As the Lead for the Indigenous People’s Health and Aging Division at the Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health at Lakehead University, her role has partly involved planning, implementing, and evaluating palliative care education for Indigenous peoples across Canada. Holly is also a content expert for the Canadian Virtual Hospice’s LivingMyCulture.ca project.

Denise Brooks Health Equity Champion Award

Congratulations to CERAH staff member Holly Prince who has won the Denise Brooks Health Equity Champion Award as part of the 2023 Transformative Change Awards from the Alliance for Healthier Communities.

Transformative Change Awards recognize and celebrate health champions who work at the forefront of transformative change to help us achieve the best possible health and well-being for everyone in Ontario. The awards recognize leaders, innovators and collaborators who have reframed problems, broken new ground, and created transformative solutions that have improved outcomes for people and communities facing barriers to good health. The goal of the Denise Brooks Health Equity Champion Award is to recognize an individual who demonstrates outstanding contributions to dismantling barriers to equitable health and championing policies and interventions that challenge discrimination and oppression, and address social conditions causing health inequities. Additionally, the award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to poverty reduction, advancing social justice and shows a strong commitment to anti-oppression, including commitment to addressing racism against Black and Indigenous people.

Congratulations Holly on receiving these three awards!