On the traditional territory of the Ligwiłda'xw people – specifically the Wei Wai Kum and We Wai Kai First Nations, a powerful moment of cultural continuity and connection unfolded. Surrounded by family and Nation members, a child was honoured through a traditional naming and adoption ceremony, carried out in the spirit of love, belonging, and community. The ceremony took place in the Gathering Space at the Campbell River Hospital, a room designated for cultural activities and healing.

This was not simply an event, but an affirmation of identity and community resilience. It represented the ways Indigenous families continue to practice culture as an inherent right, even within systems that have not always supported or reflected Indigenous worldviews. Through collaboration and cultural advocacy, the ceremony demonstrated how health care environments can become places that honour both medical and spiritual wellbeing.

That day was made possible, in part, through the advocacy and support of Kristin Walkus, a Regional Health Coach with the Kwakwaka'wakw Maternal, Child & Family Wellness Program – an initiative led by the Kwakwaka'wakw Nations and hosted by First Nations Health Authority (FNHA).

“This experience reflects what's possible when we walk together using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, where Indigenous and Western worldviews are both valued and integrated," Kristin explains. Her role as a health coach often places her at the intersection of these two worlds.

The Kwakwaka'wakw Maternal, Child & Family Health Program was created to support culturally safe, trauma-informed, and family-centered maternity care for First Nations families. The collaborative team works closely with parents, caregivers, and communities to ensure care is coordinated, respectful and grounded in culture, particularly when families must leave their home territories to access health services. Their work extends across maternity, child, and family wellness, weaving together supports that reflect both community and individual needs.

Beyond maternity care coordination, Kristin and her colleagues often advocate across multiple systems, ensuring that First Nations families are treated with dignity and respect. Their ability to build bridges between institutions and communities has led to more examples of culturally safe care that re-shape the experience of families navigating mainstream systems.

Following the ceremony, the family expressed their deep gratitude for the opportunity to bring traditional values and practices into a westernized hospital setting. Gathering Nation members and supports to witness the naming and adoption affirmed their cultural rights and responsibilities, creating space for ceremony to flourish in a setting where it had not always been welcomed.

“Seeing the child surrounded by love, ceremony, and community was a reminder of what's possible when cultural safety is honoured in health care spaces," Kristin said. “It's not just about avoiding harm—it's about creating opportunities for joy, connection, and resilience."

Reflecting on the day, Kristin shared that system change is not always loud or sweeping.

“Sometimes it looks like a quiet hospital room transformed into a sacred space. Sometimes it looks like a child being named in front of their community. And sometimes, it looks like the system finally making room for Indigenous ways of being, knowing, and healing."