Peter Henderson Bryce Award
Nomination Information
To nominate someone for this award, you will need to submit:
- A complete nomination form
- A cover letter explaining why the nominee deserves the award and how they meet the criteria
- Two letters or videos of support explaining why the nominee deserves the award and how they meet the criteria
- Other materials that show the work that the nominee has done to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis children (such as pictures, written work, videos, etc.).
Nominators can submit the nomination package digitally through the link located on this page or by emailing the package to info@fncaringsociety.com.
As a reminder, please check your application package carefully. Incomplete applications will not be considered. While we appreciate all applications, as a small organization, we can only contact the successful applicant.
Please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions!

Peter Henderson Bryce Award Nomination Forms
Current & Past Recipients

Dr. Jonathan Koo, originally from Calgary, Alberta, has been providing Family Medicine services to the Indigenous communities of Thunder Bay for the last 5 years. Specifically, he has been the family physician for many patients of Matawa’s Aroland First Nation in Greenstone, Ontario. When not in Aroland, Dr. Koo sees patients in Thunder Bay from all 9 Matawa Communities. His varied medical and educational background has better prepared him for the barriers to care / inequities of care to many of his Northern Ontario First Nation community members. When not in Aroland seeing patients, he is a proud husband, father of 2 children, with 1 busy puppy at home.
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Dean Wilson is Métis, a member of North Island Métis Association, and registered citizen of Métis Nation BC. His adoptive parents moved to Port Hardy when he was a small child. He was reunited with his birth family at the age of 20. He has many adopted family connections among the Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw Nations, particularly the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations.
Dean’s work career has included being a social worker, a Team Leader, and a Director for Aboriginal Service Change for the Ministry of Children and Family Development, the founding Executive Director for the Sacred Wolf Aboriginal Friendship Centre, and a Program Manager and then Director of Health and Family Services for the Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw Nations. He is presently the Manager of Indigenous Health in North Vancouver Island, working for Island Health.
Dean has worked to create new programs that support Indigenous cultural connections for children and youth, reduce the number of children in care, and use Indigenous cultural ceremonies and processes. In addition, he has worked to educate, mentor and support non-Indigenous service providers to understand their role in being effective allies to Indigenous families and communities; as well as to mentor and support Indigenous helpers to trust their own knowing and culture and work to support their communities. He is active in both Métis and Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw cultural work in the local area.
Dean has worked with Hereditary Chiefs, Elders, Matriarchs and other Knowledge Holders, to establish culturally based programs to support the return of children from care and to establish trauma healing programs. These programs continue to flourish and grow. In addition, Dean and Cathie were foster parents for 18 years, helping raise 18 children, with whom they are still in contact with.
Dean has been married to his amazing wife Cathie for 34 years, a parent to 6 children, and Mushum to 3 grandchildren.
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Desiree Morriseau-Shields is a band member of Fort William First Nation (FWFN), ON. She is a proud wife to her husband Nathan Berry of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI), and together they raise their 3 children in their home community, FWFN. Desiree’s Spirit Name is Gizhibaa-ashe-goon Kwe, Swirling Snow Woman, she is a drum carrier and takes an active role in reclaiming her cultural heritage with the guidance of her community, and the support of knowledge keepers who have crossed her path on Turtle Island. Desiree has been a standing councilor in her community for 5 years, where she passionately leads her community toward overall wellness and self-sustainability.
By trade, Desiree is a Registered Dental Hygienist, who has dedicated her career and advocacy to Indigenous children’s oral health equity. She determined early on in her education, that she would share her learned skill with her people. For 9 years Desiree provided the Children’s Oral Health Initiative to the children of her community, FWFN. Through mentorship and encouragement from her dear friend Jan Douglas R.D.H., Desiree went on to expand her service to members in her community of all ages through her independent practice, The Anishinabek Dental Hygiene Clinic for 5 years.
While Desiree is an entrepreneur through and through, her heart and commitment is grounded in the health and wellness of all indigenous children across Turtle Island. During the COVID Pandemic, Desiree joined Indigenous Services Canada, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch to continue her work within the Children’s Oral Health Initiative program from a government perspective. Desiree continues to advocate for children’s oral health from a regional level, where she makes a direct impact on the policies guiding the Children’s Oral Health Initiative Program and supports Indigenous partners in improving the oral health outcomes of their children and families within their home communities.