Wheeler wanted to go into medicine and was enrolled in a pre-med program at the University of Manitoba. For many Indigenous people, Wheeler was the first Indigenous voice they ever heard on a broadcast medium. It was during her 10 year stint working on Our Native Land that Wheeler first became known as the ‘First Lady of Native Broadcasting in Canada’. For generations of Indigenous people in Canada, the phrase “My Name is Bernelda Wheeler, and this is Our Native Land” was instantly recognizable. When Wheeler passed away in 2005, Manitoba Minister of Culture, Heritage and Tourism Eric Robinson, remarked that Wheeler was “a pioneer in media and literary circles” and that “Bernelda will always be remembered for her sensitive storytelling of the lives of aboriginal people.”Awards & Accolades
