The school is named after Nellie Carlson, a respected Indigenous Elder. An inspiration for the movement of Indigenous women’s rights came from her experience. Carlson, a Cree woman, lost her treaty rights when she married Elmer Carlson, who was Métis. It took 18 years of Carlson advocating for amendments to the Indian Act to support the equality of Indigenous Women for changes to be made. In 1988, Carlson received a Governor General's Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case, an award that honours Canadians who advance gender equality.