Mae Katt to be presented with honourary degree from Trent University

CRaNHR and DFC's Mae Katt is being presented with an honourary doctorate of laws from Trent University for her work in the area of First Nations health.

 The following is an excerpt from the Trent U article:

Mae Katt
Virginia May Katt (Mae Katt) is a member of Temagami First Nation (Ojibway) and a justice advocate. She is a primary health care nurse practitioner with an expansive skill set in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  Her forty-year career as a clinician, health administrator, educator, advocate and researcher has been dedicated to improving all aspects of First Nations health in northern communities.

Ms. Katt develops programs and teams to treat prescription dependence and provide opiate addiction treatment. Her work on a program at a First Nations high school lead to a significant drop in student opioid use. Her efforts with drug addiction have also received media attention from outlets including the Globe and Mail, CBC Radio, and were featured in the documentary, Rings of Fire.

As a member of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, she developed best practice guidelines regarding substance abuse. Ms. Katt also worked in senior management positions at Health Canada’s First Nations and Inuit Health (Ontario) and Nishnawbe Aski Nation, representing many Ojibway and Cree First Nations in northern Ontario. She developed the Native Nursing Entry program at the School of Nursing at Lakehead University and became its first coordinator.

Congratulations, Mae!