Indigenous Diabetes Educator and Elder Matilda Atleo leads with compassion and care.
For Diabetes Awareness Month we are sharing stories from community about the importance of diabetes education, screening and awareness. Elder Matilda Atleo is an Indigenous Diabetes Educator at FNHA. She is originally from her mother's community, Xaxlip First Nation, and is a member of the Tseshaht First Nation. She has lived in Port Alberni for the last 43 years, where she works as a diabetes educator.
“Make health a priority." Those are the words of wisdom from respected Elder Matilda Atleo for Diabetes Awareness Month, a message rooted in her decades of experience and compassion in working with diabetes.
Matilda's journey into diabetes care and education began with her late husband, George Watts. When George was diagnosed, she learned firsthand the challenges families face. After he passed from complications, Matilda returned to school to become certified in Diabetes Prevention and Holistic Nutrition. Her commitment to diabetes health promotion led her to work with Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council Nursing Services for 20 years before joining FNHA as an Indigenous Diabetes Educator in 2023.
For Matilda, diabetes care goes far beyond the food and numbers; it's about wholistic wellness.
“When we look at individual health, we have to look at their overall wholistic wellness —not just looking at what they had for breakfast, really looking at how they're doing," she shares.
After more than two decades in health promotion and diabetes education, Matilda sees a gap in public awareness. She says education is needed for everyone, not just people currently living with diabetes. Learning how you can support your loved one living with diabetes is important, as well as knowing what steps you can take to protect your own health.
“Individuals are not getting the education that they need," she explains. “People are told 'You have diabetes, here is your prescription.' So, there's a real need for education."
Matilda adds that receiving a diabetes diagnosis can be overwhelming.
“I tell people, 'It's not your fault. It's things that have happened in the history'."
Available diabetes information often overlooks the ongoing impacts of colonialism. Access to food, culturally safe care and mental health support are all significant factors in diabetes care and management.
The challenges that First Nations people experience with diabetes care are why Matilda believes a more wholistic approach to diabetes care is necessary.
“I always start with 'how are you?' You have to listen to people. Let them share their story."
In 2024, Matilda co-facilitated pilot sessions of FNHA's new community-based diabetes education series and toolkit: Honour Your Strength. She found that these sessions made space for important conversations and allowed people to be heard.
Early detection is key to living well with diabetes. Knowing the signs and symptoms is helpful, but you may not experience any, which is why regular screening is extremely important.
Learn more:
To learn more about diabetes, including common signs/symptoms, please visit our diabetes webpage.
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