Paulette Dahlseide
Background: Paulette Dahlseide is a Registered Dental Hygienist, Assistant Clinical Professor at the Mike Petryk School of Dentistry and Program Lead for the Wâpanachakos Indigenous Health Program in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the 海角社区.
Bio: Paulette Dahlseide grew up in northeastern Alberta. A citizen of the Métis Nation in Alberta, Paulette’s Métis roots are deeply connected to the land and kinscapes in and around St. Paul, Alberta (St. Paul des Métis). Paulette holds a Diploma in Dental Hygiene (1994), BSc in Dental Hygiene (2014) and MSc Medical Sciences Dental Hygiene (2024) from the 海角社区. A practicing dental hygienist of 30 years, Paulette’s independent storefront and mobile dental hygiene practice has been bringing accessible, preventive oral healthcare to rural and Indigenous communities, health centres, schools and long term care facilities since 2010. Her research has focused on relational and reciprocal approaches to knowledge co-creation and translation. Her graduate work honors Métis women as traditional caregivers and keepers of community wellbeing, and centres the voices of Métis women within her kinship network to co-create a deeper understanding of Métis oral health experiences in Alberta.
Interests and Vision for Social Accountability: Traditional and timeless Indigenous principles of relationship, respect, responsibility, reciprocity, and relevance inform Paulette’s worldview both personally and professionally. Acknowledging that Indigenous and Western cross-cultural dialogue has the potential to advance Indigenous health and wellness, she embraces the strengths of both Indigenous relational ethics and the contemporary, Western construct of social accountability. It is in this ethical space of engagement that she looks forward to fostering foundational and equitable partnerships with community members, policymakers, health administrators, health professionals, academics, and other linked sectors such as not for profit organizations and industry to vision and operationalize meaningful and systemic healthcare change.
Hobbies/ Interests outside work: Paulette is the mother to 6 adult children and grandmother to 3 beautiful grandbabies. She has a deep appreciation for outdoor activities, including biking, cross-country skiing, and paddleboarding. Additionally, she enjoys singing and playing the guitar, fostering connections with friends and family through music.