Spirit Bear’s birthday

Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) invited community members and visitors to town to Spirit Bear’s birthday on the afternoon of May 31 at Hostel 2 at 3 Sturgeon River Road.
Guests were invited to bring their teddy bears and join SLFNHA in honouring Jordan River Anderson, the little boy whose life led to the creation of Jordan’s Principle.
A BBQ, refreshments, cake, activities and games were all part of Spirit Bear’s birthday celebration.
First Nations Child & Family Caring Society shared on their website, “Jordan River Anderson was a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba who was born in 1999 with multiple disabilities. He lived over two years in a hospital because federal and provincial governments could not agree on who would pay for his at-home care. The reason for this is that federal and provincial/territorial governments cannot agree on which government should pay for services to First Nations children on reserves so they typically do not provide the service until they can sort out the payment issue. Unfortunately, Jordan died at the age of 5 before he could experience living in a loving home.”
The website goes on to state, “Jordan’s death ignited a movement to uphold human rights for all First Nations children through the creation of the child-first principle called “Jordan’s Principle.”
“Celebrated annually, Bear Witness Day honours Jordan River Anderson and invites people of all ages to “Bear Witness” to ensure Jordan’s Principle is fully implemented!”, First Nations Child & Family Caring Society’s website informs.