Wednesday June 10th
3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Activity open to individuals registered for the Forum.
Healthcare professionals share their medical training journeys and highlight key catalysts for building more inclusive practices within academic institutions, rooted in community realities. This discussion will underscore the importance of role models in supporting and motivating the next generation.
Charles Bender – Presenter
Charles Bender – Wendat
Actor/Director/Translator
Charles Bender is an actor, host, translator, and director of Wendat and settler origin. He is co-artistic director of the theatre company Menuentakuan and the host of Sans Reserve on APTN. He has sat on many committees and boards of directors that have social justice and contemporary Indigenous culture as part of their mandate.
Charles has been involved in theatre and television for more that 20 years and is often asked to host events that spotlight the exceptional richness of Indigenous peoples and organizations.
Dr Stanley Vollant
Dr. Stanley Vollant is an eminent surgeon and a respected healthcare leader in Québec. A pioneer and inspirational role model, Dr. Vollant became Québec’s first Indigenous surgeon in 1994, paving the way for many First Nations people to pursue careers in medicine. With more than 30 years of clinical experience in various hospitals, Dr. Vollant has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to providing quality care and promoting better cross-cultural understanding in healthcare. Dr. Vollant currently serves as a physician advisor at the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Health and Social Services Commission. He also sits on the board of directors of the new Santé Québec agency, where his expertise and experience play a pivotal role in informing public health policies and initiatives in Québec. In recognition of his significant impact and leadership, L’Actualité magazine named Dr. Vollant one the 100 most influential people in Québec. His various commitments have also earned him a nomination to the Council of the Ordre national du Québec and numerous honorary awards from various medical and community institutions.
Jessica Fuchs
Jessica Fuchs is a third-year student in the Doctor of Medicine program at Université de Sherbrooke, based at the Saguenay campus. She is an Innu from the community of Mashteuiatsh in the Lac-Saint-Jean region. Since the beginning of her graduate studies, she has been actively involved with the Indigenous health interest group (GISA) on her campus, where she serves as co-president. In this role, she has helped organize mini health sciences schools in Mashteuiatsh and Opitciwan, as well as awareness activities for students. She also completed an internship in the community of Uashat mak Mani-utenam. After completing her studies, Jessica hopes to practise medicine in her own community.
Dr Samuel Dupont
Dr. Samuel Dupont is a family physician and a member of the Abenaki Nation of Wôlinak. Trained at the Université de Sherbrooke and Université Laval, he is currently completing additional training in emergency medicine. Deeply committed to Indigenous health, he co-chaired the Université de Sherbrooke’s Indigenous Health Interest Group (GISA) and collaborated with the Canadian Medical Association and academic partners to promote cultural safety among health professionals. He dedicates his work to raising awareness and educating his colleagues about Indigenous realities, as part of a broader effort toward cultural reclamation, health justice, and the transformation of clinical practices.
