Following the death of an Indigenous woman at an Alberta hospital last month, MKO is demanding immediate change and action.

Lillian Vanasse, originally from Sandy Bay First Nation but living in Hanna, Alberta, was admitted to hospital on Christmas Day after experiencing flu-like symptoms, according to her husband Cory Ashley, and died a day later.

Ashley states that Vanasse wasn’t given proper treatment from hospital staff, and her pleas for help were ignored.

Grand Chief Garrison Settee says it’s important to hold the health care system accountable to prevent further loss of life, and adds that MKO is working with First Nations legal experts, medical scholars, and historians to do so.

This comes after a press conference held by MKO on Tuesday, which urged all levels of government to address anti-Indigenous racism in health care systems.