Dr. Kona Williams is forging a path for First Nations women in forensic pathology
CBC
Being the only First Nations forensic pathologist in Canada can be isolating and brings with it a lot of responsibility but Dr. Kona Williams views it as a privilege to get to know somebody in death.
"You actually get to see this person in death in a way that nobody else can," said Williams, speaking from her home in Sudbury, Ont.
The Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) and Cree doctor currently serves as medical director of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Health Sciences North (HSN), a regional hospital in Sudbury serving northeastern Ontario. Her leadership is viewed as trailblazing by many but her journey into forensic pathology hasn't been a walk in the park.
Being in a male-dominated profession on top of being the only First Nations person working in the field in Canada, she's dealt with racism, stereotypes and discrimination throughout her 14 years of post-secondary education, and while working across Ontario.
"Medicine, there's still a lot of systemic racism. That is a huge barrier," she said.
"I've gotten horrible things like, 'I hope you end up missing and murdered.'"
Forensic pathology is a subspecialty of pathology, specializing in the examination of people who die suddenly, unexpectedly or violently to determine cause and manner of death. It's a career Williams never thought about until meeting University of Ottawa professor Dr. Mary Senterman, one of her mentors in medical school.
Williams graduated from medical school in 2009 and completed her residency training in anatomical pathology at the University of Ottawa in 2014. A year later, she completed a fellowship in forensic pathology at the University of Toronto.
She worked for the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service (OFPS) in Toronto until taking up most recent role in Sudbury in 2018.
"Indigenous women in medicine bring a quality and gift that changes lives," said Deanna Jones-Keeshig, director of Indigenous Health at HSN.
"Dr. Kona Williams amplifies this in her leadership and her determination to create a path forward that respects the continuity of life. Her connection to spirit, heart, mind as well as ways of being and doing has allowed her to share her knowledge to uplift and empower Indigenous communities."
Dr. Jayantha Herath, deputy chief forensic pathologist at the OFPS, said Williams's work provides a strong link between the OFPS and the communities she serves.
"Kona provides a valuable cultural perspective and knowledge to the Ontario death investigation system," said Herath.
"Kona's experience and insight have led her to work on high-profile and complex issues in Thunder Bay and Northwest Ontario, including residential schools, the Broken Trust reinvestigations, and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls."