All Our Relations - Understanding and applying the principles of wâhkôhtowin to pandemic response, Indigenous health systems, and international relations

Presented by:  Dr. Janet Smylie MD MPH, Director, Well Living House Action Research Centre, Unity Health Toronto – St. Michael’s Hospital.

We are living in challenging times. In this presentation, Dr. Janet Smylie will share her evolving understanding of the laws governing all relations or wâhkôhtowin as developed through her life journey as a Metis woman, family physician, and applied Indigenous health researcher.  She will share three stories of how she has applied these principles in her work.  This will be followed by an invitation to discussants and the audience to reflect and share their own perspectives on relationship driven social accountabilities and how their application can make the world a better place.

About our Speaker

Dr. Smylie is Director of the Well Living House (www.welllivinghouse.com) at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto; Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Advancing Generative Health Services for Indigenous Populations in Canada; and Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. Her research is focused on addressing Indigenous health inequities in partnership with Indigenous communities. She has practiced and taught family medicine in diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Metis community contexts for 30 years.  A Métis woman, Dr. Smylie acknowledges her family, traditional teachers, and ceremonial lodge.

Event Details

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

7:00 – 8:30 pm CST

Join us in person at the University of Saskatchewan or online via Livestream – register online for further details.

About the Houston Lecture

Thanks to the generous donation of the late Dr. Stuart and Mary Houston and the Houston Family Trust, this annual lecture brings together thought leaders, academics, students and community members to hear from leading experts on current issues related to inequality, health and social policy in Canada. For more information, please visit the Houston Lecture Series page.