In a quiet yet powerful step toward reconciliation and inclusion, five young individuals from the Kanesatake Mohawk community have successfully completed an internship in the medical unit of the Centre multiservice de santé et de services sociaux d’Argenteuil (CMSSS) in Lachute. Their journey, which began in December 2024, marks a significant stride in empowering Indigenous communities with tangible healthcare skills and career opportunities—right within their own territories.
The initiative, developed through a partnership between the Kanesatake Band Council’s Employment and Training Services, the CDC Pont-Viau (a Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board vocational training center), and the CISSS des Laurentides, offered these interns hands-on training to become personal support workers (préposés aux bénéficiaires).
Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, the project provided much more than a clinical internship. It delivered a culturally respectful, skill-based experience aimed at closing the training gap for Indigenous healthcare workers in Quebec. The interns engaged directly with patients in a short-term care unit, allowing them to hone their practical abilities under the supervision of medical professionals and educators.
Careful preparation went into creating a welcoming and productive environment for the trainees. The internship setting was collaboratively structured by the unit’s head nurse, instructors from CDC Pont-Viau, and the care team at the Argenteuil health centre. Their collective efforts ensured the stage was set for a meaningful exchange of knowledge and cultural understanding.
Julie Delaney, President and CEO of the CISSS des Laurentides, emphasized the project’s dual impact: “This inspiring collaboration to train future Indigenous healthcare workers was both a stimulating experience for the interns and our care team. Not only did it enrich the students’ professional development, but it also reinforced our mission to improve population health through inclusive, culturally adapted approaches. We’re proud to contribute to services that reflect the needs of the communities we serve.”
The outcome speaks for itself. All five interns have since secured positions at Kaniatarak’ta Riverside Elders’ Residence in Kanesatake—bringing their newfound skills full circle by giving back to their own elders and community members. This not only addresses the shortage of qualified staff in remote and Indigenous areas, but also ensures that culturally sensitive care is delivered by those who best understand the community’s unique needs.
For Kanesatake and similar First Nations communities, such opportunities are transformative. Historically underrepresented in the healthcare workforce, Indigenous populations often face systemic barriers to education and training. By offering an on-site, practical program embedded in respect and collaboration, this initiative opens doors that go beyond individual success—it lays a foundation for broader systemic change.
Local officials and community leaders hope that this pilot project will serve as a model for similar partnerships across Quebec and Canada. With a growing demand for personal support workers and a renewed focus on reconciliation in public institutions, the formula for success is clear: collaboration, cultural respect, and long-term investment.
As Indigenous and non-Indigenous institutions continue to work together, programs like this internship demonstrate what is possible when communities unite to tackle shared challenges. The result is a healthcare system that not only heals the body but also helps rebuild trust, dignity, and opportunity for all.
