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Dr. Jamaica Cass is one of the appointees to the Order of Ontario. The Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory doctor is being recognized for her leadership and impact she continues to make in Indigenous health and medical education. (Indigenous Inferprofessional Primary Care Team) jpg, KI, apsmc
An Amherstview physician whose work is helping reshape Indigenous health care and medical education across Canada says her appointment to the Order of Ontario is something she views not as a personal milestone alone – but as an opportunity to amplify a broader mission.
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Dr. Jamaica Cass, a proud member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, is among 30 people being awarded the province’s highest civilian honour for 2025. The appointments were announced by the Hon. Edith Dumont, lieutenant governor of Ontario and chancellor of the Order of Ontario, on Tuesday and recipients will be formally invested at a ceremony in Toronto later this year.
For Cass, this recognition brings both gratitude and responsibility.
“I don’t take this kind of recognition lightly,” she said in an interview with Kingstonist. “I’m very aware that it carries responsibility with it. I see it as creating visibility for the work that I do – and hopefully that visibility brings more opportunities to continue driving change.”
The Order of Ontario recognizes individuals whose exceptional achievements and service have helped build a stronger province and country. Cass is being honoured as a nationally recognized leader in Indigenous health and medical education, and she is also known as Canada’s first Indigenous woman to earn both a medical degree and a Ph D.
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Yet herpathtothatdistinctionbeganfarthestfromacademicaccolades-incircumstancesshe describesasshap edbypoverty , instability, andstructuralbarriers.
A childhoodshapedbyhardshipandresilience</ptag Cassgrewupin Belleville , about10minutesfrom Tyendinagamohawkterritory , where shenowpracticesmedicine. Raisedbyasingle Indigenousmotherastheyoungestoffourchildren, she saidherearlylifewasmarkedbydeep economic hardship. “We were living so far belowthepovertylevel, Icouldn’tevenseeit,” shesaid.“Thereweretimeswewereunstably housedanddealingwithfood insecurity-allofthose things.” Thosechallengesdirectlyaffectedhereducation. Frequentmovessmadeitdifficultforher tobuil da consistentacademicfoundation. “Ialmostfailed Grade9science-notbecause Iwasn’tcapable,”shesaid.“Itwasbecause Ihadmovedso muchthat Ihadn’t attendedanyoneschool longenoughtobuildtheknowledgebaseorstudyskills.” Thishasnotloadedyet, butyourarticlecontinuesbelow.<ppgarticle-content Atonepoint, a teachersuggestedhemovetoaloweracademicstream. “Irememberbeing told,'Thisisn'tforyou-you shouldprobablydrop downtoappliedlevelscience,'”shesaid.“Evenat13or14yearsold thatdidn'tsitrigh twithme. Iknewtheproblemwasn'tthat I wasn'tsmart enough.” Lookingback, she saidthatexperience reflectsbroadersystemic hurdlesfacedbymanystudents. “That’soneof manyst ructuralbarriersthat wasn’t academicatall, butstillchallengedmy abilitytosucceed,” shesaid. Despite those challenges, supportiveteacherslater playedapivotalrole. Yearslatergraduatingfrom Moira Secondary Schoolin Belleville-now Eastside Secondary School-Cass returnedtospeakto studentsandreconnectwithtwoscienceteacherswhohadhelped nurtureherinterest. “Itwas incrediblymeaningfultotellthemthatwhat theydomatters,” shesaid. Casswenton topursuescience at Queen’s University-completinga Ph Dinbreastcancermolecularbiology-andlaterearnedhermedicaldegreeattulane Universityin Louisiana. Thishasnotloadedyet, butyourarticlecontinu esbelow. Today she practicesasaprimarycareandobesitymedicinephysicianon Tyendinagamohawkterritory servingherhomecommunity. Sheisalsoafaculty memberat Queen’s Universityin Kingston where shesis directorof Indigenous Healthwithinthe Departmentof Family Medicineandleaderofthe Indigenous Health Enhanced Skills Program. Inaddition, sheistheinaugural directorofthe Queen’s-Weeneebayko Health Education Program-aninitiative establishing Canada’sfirst Indigenous-led Facultyof Health Sciences campus in Moosonee, O ntario. Theprogramaimsto trainhealthprofessionalswithin northerncommunitieswhileimprovingaccesstoculturallyappropriatecare. Bridgingworldstoshiftthenarrative C asssaidherworkspansmanyroles-clinician educator mentor, andpolicyleader-butallareguidedbythesamepurpose. “Imightbeseeingpatientsoneday teache rormentoringstudentsthenextordraftingpolicyrecommendations," shesaid."Butithasthesamegoal: making safercarehappenandimprovingaccesstolearningand healthcarefor Indigenouspeople.” Thishasnotloadedyet, butyourarticle continuesbelow. Akeymessage she hearsconsistently, shed said, is theneedforaction.“Communitieswant action, andtheywantaccountability. Therehavebeenso manyreportsandconsultations. Wealreadyknowwhatneedsto happen; whatpeoplewantnowisimplementation.” “Iseemyselfasabito fabridge,”shesaid.“Itr ytohelp institutionsunderstandwhatcommunities need whilealsohelpingcommunitiesengagewithsystems inwaysth atleadtosolutions.” Cassalsohopesrecognitionlikethe Orderof Ontario canhelpshiftpublicunderstanding. “Peoplewouldbesurprisedtolearn aboutthestrengthandresiliencethatexists,” shesaid.“Weoftenonlyhearabout deficitsandproblems, butthere are incredible successeshappeningwithin communities.” Shesaidgreater self-determinationwouldunlockevenmoreprogress:“If communities hadgreater controlineducation healthcare, andgovernance, wewouldseeevenmorepositivechange.” Accordingto Queen’s Health Sciences, Cass hasalreadybeenadrivingforcebehindsystemicchangethroughgovernance curriculumreform, andnationalbestpracticeguidelines advancingreconciliation improving Indigenousrepresentation inmedicine. 7 Thishasnotloadedyet, butyourarticlecontinuesbelow. Shealsoholds nationalleadershiproles, includingservingonthe Medical Councilof Canada helpingguideindigenousmedicaleducationstandards, andistheauthorofseveralarticlesexamining accountabilityinindigenoushealthandtheimportanceo findsigned-lededucation. Recognition-andwhatcomesnext Cas hasreceivednumeroushonours overhercareer, includi ngthe King Charles IIICoronation Medal, butshetookspecialnoticeofthethe Orderof Ontario becauseitsbroadpublicrecognition. “Visibilitymatters,”shesaid.”Ifthisrecognitionhelpsbringmoreattention tothew ork-andmoreopportunitiestobuildbridges moving solutionsforward-that's whatmakesitmean ingful.” Inannouncingthisyear’srecipients, Dumont saidthattheappointees “representtheverybest o fourprovince." “Throughthei rexceptionaldedicationachievements, theymade profoundcontributionsthat havetouchedlives across Ontarioandbeyond,"shesa id. Cassjoinsagroupof30recipients for2025, includ ingkingston-bornformer NHLcoach broadcaster Don Cherry. Sinceitscreation1986, moren than900peoplehave been appointedtothe Ordero f Ontario. Nominationsforthe Ordero f Ontari ofor2026arecurrentlybeingaccepteduntil March31，2026. Michelle Dorey Forestellisa reporterfort hekingstonist. The LJIisfundedthroughfederalgov ernment.<ppgarticle-content Sharethis articleinyour socialnetworkSource link
