“First Nations citizens should not have to leave their Nations for routine health services that can easily be provided closer to home. These delays have real consequences for our citizens. The federal and provincial health ministers must start working with us to find solutions that save lives and improve access to care.”
– Grand Chief Jerry Daniels
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 19, 2026
ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) is calling on the federal and provincial governments to immediately resolve a funding and jurisdictional dispute that has caused a one-year delay in establishing labs in southern First Nations as seen in Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation.
“Leaders in Roseau River have been working for a year to increase services available locally, such as regular A1C testing site in the Nation,” shared Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “First Nations citizens face higher risks of getting Type 2 diabetes than non-Indigenous peoples. Roseau River is looking to provide citizens with convenient access to a routine health service that can help people know whether they have diabetes at their own lab.”
A1C testing is a routine blood test. It measures a person’s average blood sugar levels over about three months. It is an important tool for identifying diabetes and monitoring blood sugar levels for people living with diabetes. Early identification and ongoing monitoring of diabetes can be critical to preventing serious health complications. A laboratory, with trained phlebotomists who can draw blood and confirmed access to supplies is essential to providing this service closer to home.
“Roseau River Anishinabe First Nation is not asking Canada for a favour. We are a sovereign Treaty Nation, and the Crown has obligations to our people that cannot simply be passed off to the province,” said Councillor Rachel Ferreira. “Our people’s health and well-being are part of the Crown’s ongoing Treaty relationship with our Nation. We want a laboratory available in our own community so we can test our people early, identify those at risk before they develop diabetes, and provide education and support on the steps we can take to look after our bodies and prevent diabetes where possible.
While the provincial health system does provide A1C testing, SCO maintains that the issue is not whether A1C testing is available within the provincial health system. The issue is whether First Nations citizens should have to travel outside their Nations to access a routine health service that could be provided closer to home.
“First Nations citizens should not have to leave their Nations for routine health services that can easily be provided closer to home,” said Grand Chief Daniels. “These delays have real consequences for our citizens. We have seen this pattern before: governments dispute responsibility while First Nations citizens wait for essential services. Jordan’s Principle was created because these jurisdictional disputes cause real harm. Governments must not repeat those failures. The federal and provincial health ministers must start working with us to find solutions that save lives and improve access to care.”
The benefits of bringing routine blood and diagnostic services closer to First Nations have already been demonstrated through SCO’s Nation-Based Micro-Credential Phlebotomy Program.
SCO’s Nation-Based Micro-Credential Phlebotomy Program demonstrates that this model works. In 2025, Lake Manitoba First Nation’s community-based service provided blood collection to 322 clients and generated an estimated $18,489 in medical transportation savings.
For First Nation citizens living with or at risk of diabetes, timely access to routine A1C testing can support early identification, ongoing monitoring, and treatment. Delays in accessing these services can create additional barriers to care.
“When Canada points to provincial services instead of providing the resources needed for our Nation to deliver this preventative health service ourselves, Canada is failing to uphold its obligations and continuing a pattern of Treaty breaches,” said Councillor Rachel Ferreira. “Roseau River is ready to establish this service, train our own people and create employment within our Nation. Canada must honour the Treaty relationship, respect our jurisdiction and provide the resources necessary for us to protect the health of our people today and for future generations.”
SCO is calling on the federal and provincial health ministers to meet directly with Roseau River and SCO and establish an immediate funding, approval, and service-delivery pathway for Nation-based blood collection, including access to A1C testing. Governments must also develop a broader pathway so other First Nations do not encounter the same delay.
First Nations citizens continue to experience significant health disparities, including an 11-year gap in life expectancy compared to non-Indigenous Manitobans. Improving access to preventative and diagnostic services closer to home is an important part of addressing these disparities.
SCO will continue to advocate for First Nations-led health solutions that improve access to care, strengthen community health systems, reduce unnecessary medical travel, and support better health outcomes for First Nations citizens.
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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 33 First Nations and more than 92,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.
For media inquiries:
Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca