Chloe Crosschild

About:

Iitaapiit’saanskiakii (Singing Bird by the Shore Woman), Dr. Chloe Crosschild (she/her), is from the Blackfoot Confederacy and a member of the Blood Tribe (Kainai). She is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences (Nursing) at the University of Lethbridge.

Her program of research is grounded in Indigenous Research Methodologies, specifically a Blackfoot methodology developed through her thesis work, and is informed by Critical Indigenous Feminism and Red Intersectionality. Her work centers on Indigenous women’s health, perinatal and early life care, and the restoration of Indigenous relationality within health systems—particularly in ways that honour kinship, responsibility, and community-defined approaches to wellbeing.

In her current role, she teaches community health nursing, supervises undergraduate nursing students in clinical practice, and contributes to teaching in the Master of Nursing program. She is committed to community-engaged research, Indigenous data sovereignty, and supporting future nurses in providing relational, respectful care.

Education: 

• PhD Nursing, University of British Columbia
• MN, University of Lethbridge
• BN, University of Lethbridge

Experience:

• Assistant Professor, Nursing, University of Lethbridge (2021–present)
• Experience in nursing education, community health, and Indigenous health research, with a background in public health nursing and clinical practice in southern Alberta and the Blood Tribe (Kainai).
• Former Indigenous Patient Navigator with Alberta Health Services, supporting Indigenous patients in navigating health systems and accessing culturally appropriate care
• Focus areas include Indigenous women’s health, perinatal and early life care, and relational approaches to health and wellbeing
• Expertise in mixed methods research grounded in Indigenous Research Methodologies
• Ongoing collaboration with Indigenous community organizations, including Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society, Blood Tribe Department of Health, and Kainaiwa Children’s Services Corporation
• Experience in mentorship, curriculum development, and supporting relational practice in nursing education

Teaching:

• 10 years in community health clinical instruction
• Since 2021 in undergraduate and graduate nursing education

Areas of Specialization: 

• Community and population health nursing
• Indigenous health
• Perinatal and early life care

Courses taught: 

• NURS 3022: Praxis in Health Promotion (Community Health Clinical)
• NURS 4922: Final Practicum (Preceptorship)
• NURS 5140: Populations and Places for Nursing Practice (Graduate)
• NURS 4520: Community Health Nursing Practice
• NURS 3360: Research in Nursing
• ABHL 1000: Introduction to Aboriginal Health

Research Focus:

Areas of current research inquiry: 

• Indigenous women’s experiences with perinatal care
• Indigenous relationality and its application within health systems
• Early life and family systems of care grounded in Indigenous knowledge
• Indigenous Research Methodologies in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research
• Indigenous Data Sovereignty and community-led approaches to research

Current and recent funding: 

• One Child Every Child (OCEC) Indigenous Research Project Seed Grant (2026) Reclaiming Kainai Matriarchal Relational Systems of Care in Early Life

Research Contributions

• Dissertation: Iitsimákaatsita: Enhancing Relations between Indigenous Women and Registered Nurses
• Peer-reviewed publications in Indigenous health, nursing, and health equity (e.g., AlterNative, Nursing Leadership, Quality Advancement in Nursing Education)
• Ongoing manuscripts on Indigenous women’s perinatal experiences and nursing practice transformation
• Community-engaged research in partnership with Indigenous organizations

Knowledge mobilization

• Community forums and advisory circles with Indigenous partners
• Presentations at national and international nursing and Indigenous health conferences
• Guest lectures across nursing, sociology, and health sciences programs
• Integration of research findings into nursing education and clinical practice

Graduate Supervision: 

• Currently co-supervising a Master’s student in Health Science
• Open to supervising Master and Undergraduate level students in:
  • Indigenous women’s and family health
  • Perinatal and early life care
  • Indigenous relationality in health systems
  • Community-based and participatory research
  • Indigenous Research Methodologies

Awards and Funding:

• One Child Every Child (OCEC) Indigenous Research Project Seed Funding Award (2026)
• CIHR Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship ($100,000)
• Cordula and Gunter Paetzold Fellowship
• President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award
• Multiple Indigenous graduate awards and fellowships
• 2019 School of Graduate Studies Silver Medal of Merit in the Master of Nursing

Professional Affiliations:

• Registered Nurse (RN), College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta