Memorial Tribute to Elder Wanda Whitebird

Elder Wanda Whitebird was a friend, a mentor, and a passionate harm reduction advocate who dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of Indigenous peoples. Wanda tirelessly fought for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2-spirited peoples, people living with HIV, people experiencing incarceration, and people who use drugs. Wanda was the 2023 recipient of the Casey Award for leadership in social justice and harm reduction for the HIV/AIDS community. For 19 years, Wanda led the annual Strawberry Ceremony to honour the lives and call for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and 2-spirited peoples. Introduced to SRCHC by her brother, long-time Indigenous Health Promoter Les Harper, Wanda supported our organization in countless ways for many years, helping guide our ongoing journey toward reconciliation. Wanda supported across many projects at SRCHC over the years, including Northern Feathers, a regalia making project for Indigenous women accessing harm reduction programming. Her generosity, authenticity, and kindness has touched our staff and service users. We offer our deepest condolences to Wanda’s family, friends and the many communities she inspired. We will remember her unconditional love, her teachings, her laugh, and her strength.