We Are IH: Indigenous engagement lead brings people together

June 20, 2024

Nicole with her partner Aaron and their dog Sage.

Name: Nicole Taylor-Sterritt (she/her)
Job Title: Lead, Indigenous Engagement
Years of Service: 2
Worksite: Kelowna CHSC
Community: Syilx (Okanagan) territory
Ancestral Territory: Syilx Nation
Favourite Quote / Advice to live by: "Do all things with love."

Born and raised in the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh territory, what’s known as Vancouver, B.C., and now residing in the unceded Syilx territory in Kelowna, Nicole Taylor-Sterritt is of mixed heritage and a proud member of the Kispiox Band of the Gitxsan Nation.

Nicole loves to be around people and is the kind of person who invites everyone over to gather at the end of the day to hang out. On two separate occasions, her cousin and an Elder told her that she is "the one who brings people together" – a title she embraces with pride; so much so, from 2016-2021 she worked as an event planner.

In 2018, Nicole and her mom co-founded the Indigenous Women's Leadership Summit, which opened her up to a world where she could work to better the lives of her Indigenous community, and in a roundabout way led her to her job now at Interior Health (IH)!

In this Story…

Learn more about Nicole’s journey with IH

Nicole Taylor-Sterritt nominates Nicole Big Sorrel Horse, lead, Indigenous engagement to keep We Are IH going

Explore Indigenous Partnerships Careers@IH

Learn more about Nicole’s journey with IH

A person taking a selfie in the snow while snowshoeing, with another person in the background. — Nicole and her partner Aaron snowshoeing on Syilx territory.

Now that you know a bit more about who she is and what she is passionate about, it should come as no surprise that Nicole’s role at IH is all about people and building community.

As lead, Indigenous engagement, connecting with Indigenous communities is just part of her role. Nicole builds relationships and trust to support making change within a colonial system, so that Indigenous people can have their rightful access to equitable health care, free of racism and discrimination.

Nicole works from home but spends lots of time on the road travelling across the Interior for meetings with Nation partners.

Her team works to develop resources on Indigenous engagement for IH to use, and consults with staff on inviting partners to meetings, while ensuring they receive adequate honoraria for their time, and respecting cultural protocols along the way. Her team is also in the process of developing an Indigenous Engagement Framework, which should help identify appropriate engagement pathways with partners.

A person sitting in front of a fire in a double-wide camp chair hugging a white fluffy dog. — Nicole and her dog Sage camping on Stó:lō territory

Nicole also supports the Letter of Understanding partnerships for the Ktunaxa Nation and Métis Nation BC, and has begun developing relationships with Urban Indigenous organizations like Friendship Societies to ensure Indigenous peoples living off-reserve are also accessing health care in a culturally safe and respectful way.

She has hope that with hard work, advocacy and love, we will continue to make these changes.

Since moving to the B.C. Interior in 2013, Nicole has been exploring all the beauty and terrain the land has to offer with her dog Sage and partner Aaron. From biking, hiking, camping, being on the water, and growing fruits and veggies in her garden in the summer, to snowshoeing and snowboarding in the winter – she loves where she lives.

A group of women in ribbon skirts posing for a picture on a balcony with a view of the ocean and mountains behind them. — From left to right: June Lulua, Nicole Taylor-Sterritt, Nicole Big Sorrel Horse, Kaelyn Elfert and Becca Britton, in Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil Waututh territory attending the Healing Our Spirit Worldwide conference.

Nicole Taylor-Sterritt nominates Nicole Big Sorrel Horse, lead, Indigenous engagement to keep We Are IH going

“Nicole is an incredible leader, grounded in her Indigenous culture and weaves traditional teachings and cultural practices into her work.” - Nicole Taylor-Sterritt