Abstract
OBJECTIVES: to analyze the possibilities and potential of training indigenous nurses, given the Brazilian Health System (SUS), understanding the relationships between education and health. METHODS: theoretical-reflective study, based on scientific literature, aligned with the experience, critical thinking of its authors and the Sustainable Development Goals in Brazil. RESULTS: this text articulates three axes: Potential for including indigenous students in nursing training; Paths to achieving equity through inclusion and retention policies for indigenous students at different levels; and Implications of this for the SUS and global health. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: indigenous students, beneficiaries of affirmative actions, face challenges of inclusion and retention in public universities that directly impact their academic training. Added to this are the difficulties identified in basic education, professor training and implementation of permanence policies, with consequences for services and training at other levels.