06/10/2026
Today, we released a public statement in response to Manitoba’s declaration of an HIV public health emergency. The statement was shared with Indigenous leadership, community organizations, and federal and provincial decision-makers, including the Manitoba Métis Federation, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, Manitoba Inuit Association, and government leaders.
In the statement, we acknowledge the urgency of the moment, while emphasizing that this is not only a public health emergency—it is also a colonial systems emergency. The sharp rise in HIV diagnoses reflects longstanding, interconnected inequities, including housing insecurity, systemic racism, gaps in care, and the ongoing impacts of colonial displacement. Indigenous peoples continue to be disproportionately affected.
We call for responses that go beyond short-term crisis measures. This moment demands sustained, Indigenous-led, community-governed, and properly resourced action. Solutions must be grounded in culturally safe care, Indigenous knowledge, and the leadership of those most affected.
Key priorities highlighted in the statement include:
* Low-barrier access to HIV testing, prevention, treatment, and care
* Indigenous-led harm reduction, housing, and mental health supports
* Community-based and land-based models of healing
* Ending stigma, shame, and criminalization for people living with HIV
* Long-term funding and Indigenous governance of responses
* Centering Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer communities
We underscore that HIV is preventable and treatable, and that responses must be rooted in dignity, evidence, and relational accountability—not fear.
We reaffirm our commitment to working alongside Indigenous communities, leadership, and people living with HIV to advance solutions that support survivance, wellness, and Indigenous futures.
