Well-respected aboriginal educator, researcher, and mentor Jo-Anne Episkenew has died after a sudden and brief illness.
It started as a flu a couple of weeks ago, before quickly turning into pneumonia and organ failure.
Episkenew’s friends and co-workers say her death is a big loss.
She was the director of the Aboriginal Peoples Health Research Centre at the University of Regina. Epeskinew was also a lifelong educator. She had a PhD in English literature and taught at the First Nations University. She came from humble beginnings growing up in poverty and dysfunction, but she never let that define who she was or who she could be.
Friend and co-worker Wendy Whitebear, the research co ordinator for the health research centre, says Episkenew was the authority on aboriginal health and poverty. Whitebear is still having trouble coming to terms with the loss of her friend.
“It’s quite a shock and even though we went through it, even at the very end, nobody really, really thought that she was going to die, even though the nurses and doctors were saying there is nothing more we can do,” she said.
Last fall, Episkenew learned she was being given the Indspire award for education. The award recognizes outstanding indigenous achievement in a number of areas.
MBC News talked to her about the honour and how she felt about the recognition.
“Yikes, I hope kids are smarter than I was. Just skip over the bad parts and get an education. It makes life so much easier,” she said.
The Indspire award ceremony took place in Vancouver a week ago. By then, Episkenew was in the hospital with her health rapidly failing. Her daughter accepted the award on her behalf.
Last year she was also given the YWCA Women of Distinction Lifetime Achievement Award.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.