Elder Valerie Nicholson, of Mi’kmaq, Haida, Gypsy and English descent, is a storyteller and researcher, an advocate and an artivist. She works at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS as a co-principal investigator and community-based researcher, and brings her knowledge back to her communities. She is an HIV Older for the Weaving Our Wisdom (WOW) study, and actively works with the Canadian Coalition to Reform the Criminalization of HIV and the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network. She is an Elder for Camp Moomba, YouthCo , First Directions and Yuusnewas. In 2018 Elder Valerie received the CAHR Red Ribbon Researchers Award and in 2019 the CANFAR Excellence in Research Award. You can follow her on Twitter.
Elder Valerie is a change warrior and stigma slayer. She discusses the importance of language in breaking down stigma and in empowerment, and discusses the stigma experienced by Indigenous peoples, people living with HIV, and people who use drugs (and those at the intersection of these experiences). Elder Valerie invites persons to self-educate and then have conversations with people with lived experience. She discusses the importance of focusing on positive healthy actions (rather than interventions) and opening up mind, body, heart and spirit.
Episode hosted by Dr. Carmen Logie. Supported by funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Canada Research Chairs program. Original music and podcast produced by Jupiter Productions, who have various production services available to support your podcast needs.