During National Nursing Week 2026, which runs from May 11 to May 17, Covenant Health is highlighting the career of Makayla Mantla, a Tłı̨chǫ citizen from Behchokǫ̀ who has overcome significant challenges to become a healthcare professional. Mantla, a recent honours graduate from the University of Alberta, is currently working as an undergraduate nursing employee at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Vegreville, Alberta.
Her journey to nursing began in Behchokǫ̀, the largest Tłı̨chǫ community in the Northwest Territories and the headquarters of the Tłı̨chǫ Government. Mantla grew up in a small log house without running water and has shared that, during her youth, she struggled with the belief that she could not pursue an education. Her path to completing her nursing degree took seven and a half years, a journey that included initially failing a first-year nursing class before earning her way into an honours program.
Mantla has become a vocal advocate for Indigenous representation in the medical field. Following a difficult personal experience in 2019, where she faced bias while seeking medical care for an ectopic pregnancy, she has worked to address systemic issues. She was selected by the president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions to serve on its Indigenous Nursing Health Advisory Committee, where she provided input on the organization’s apology to Indigenous peoples.
As the Canadian Nurses Association celebrates this year’s theme, The Power of Nurses to Transform Health, Mantla continues to look forward. She is set to walk across the stage at her graduation on June 9, 2026. Looking beyond her own achievements, Mantla plans to eventually return to the Northwest Territories to share her experiences and inspire students in Behchokǫ̀ and Yellowknife.
Reflecting on her career path, Mantla noted her commitment to helping others. “I’m doing this for all the generations of Indigenous people who never had the chance to get an education,” she said. “If I don’t share my story and inspire Indigenous people across Canada, I don’t know who will. If not me, then who?”
