Crystal Selena Bull

Crystal Selena Bull never thought she would need to study science after high school. "In high school, I didn't like science. I didn't pay attention. Back then I thought I'll never need science for later in life," but she was wrong. Her interests in the environment and helping to protect Mother Earth took over and now Crystal is an Environmental Health Officer / Certified Public Health Inspector at Anishinaabe Mino-Ayaawin (AMA) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The AMA is an organization that provides eight First Nations communities with health related services and programs. She will be relocating to continue her career as a health inspector.

Crystal, a member of the Cree First Nation from Goodfish Lake, Alberta, is responsible for protecting public health for AMA communities. She travels to different reserves and inspects public places, homes, and areas relating to food, sanitation, water, waste disposal and so on. She gained a lot of experience for her current job while training at the Health Canada First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. There she had to collect historical information and enter it into a computer program called "Watertrax." Through this program, she was able to analyze the drinking water programs on Alberta reserves. All of her work is connected to traditional ways because in studying environmental and public health issues, she has to "think of how this may affect future generations, and mother earth."

Although Crystal is successful now, she had to work very hard to get to where she is. When she was in high school she told her basketball coach that she wanted to go to university. He laughed at her and told her she would never make it, but she didn't let that stop her. Crystal struggled to get through her university classes and with living away from home, but she persisted by thinking about being a good role model for her young niece. She says that school did have good things to offer like socializing and making friends, and, "Education pays off in the long run."

"There are a lot of job opportunities for native scientists and engineers. There are not too many aboriginal health inspectors in Canada. Some reserves want to become self-sufficient and need to hire their own people for programs like environmental health," she says. She notes that her greatest sense of accomplishment comes helping her own people and working with First nations communities including her own.

Crystal enjoys dancing, reading and writing, and believes that "the road to education is full of sweat, blood and tears, and many obstacles. The journey may seem long and endless and never easy but never give up on yourself, because we are all capable of achieving great success. Many have come before you who have made it and you too can make it if you believe in yourself."