Athanasius "Tanas" Sylliboy is the first male Mi'kmaq Registered Nurse in Nova Scotia. He is currently pursuing the Master of Nursing: Nurse Practitioner - Family All/Ages Program at Dalhousie University. His nursing background includes emergency care, critical care, youth health, primary care, homecare and, more recently, pediatric pain research. Athanasius' passion lies with improving health outcomes for Indigenous populations through the use of Western and Indigenous ways of knowing. He has dedicated his nursing career to decreasing barriers to access, and to improving visibility of Indigenous voices in healthcare. 

Recently in his community, Athanasius had the privilege of working with youth during his time as a Youth Health Nurse in Eskasoni and surrounding Mi'kmaq communities. During this time, he relied on Jordan's Principle for the provision of mental health services and primary care.