Miranda Mamakwa, a 31-year-old member of Fort Severn First Nation in Northern Ontario, died after being denied medical travel four times by the Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program for follow-up heart surgery appointments. Her death has prompted her family and First Nations leaders to demand accountability from the federal government. Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of Nishnawbe Aski Nation stated that Ms. Mamakwa’s life may have been saved if she had received timely travel approval, highlighting systemic failures within the NIHB program.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Miranda Mamakwa, a 31-year-old member of Fort Severn First Nation in Northern Ontario, died after being denied medical travel by the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program. She had undergone open-heart surgery in April but missed four follow-up appointments on May 28, June 11, July 2, and August 6 due to the denial of travel support. Mamakwa’s family and First Nations leaders are demanding accountability from the NIHB program, which is operated by Indigenous Services Canada. Her last plea before her health deteriorated further was a call for others to hold the NIHB accountable if she died. She passed away on August 13 after being airlifted to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, which provides health services in Northern Ontario, is now assisting Mamakwa’s family in their pursuit of justice and better healthcare access for Indigenous people.
Written for “First Nations Woman Denied Care” on 2026-09-17,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
A couple of weeks before she died, Miranda Mamakwa described feeling abandoned by a federal agency that was supposed to help her get to crucial health appointments.
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her → die → appointments
Ms. Mamakwa, 31 and a member of Fort Severn First Nation in Northern Ontario, had open-heart surgery in April.
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Mamakwa → have → April
She wrote on Facebook in August that the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits program failed her by denying her medical travel for follow-up care, only available outside of her community.
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program → write → community
She had missed four appointments - on May 28, June 11, July 2 and Aug. 6.
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She → miss → May
The mother of three young children also made a haunting request: If she died, she wanted others to “go after” the NIHB, to seek accountability.
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others → make → accountability
Ms. Mamakwa’s health deteriorated to the point where she could no longer wait for medical care.
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she → deteriorate → care
She went to her community’s nursing station for help and was airlifted by an Ornge helicopter from Fort Severn First Nation, a fly-in-only community located near Hudson’s Bay, to Thunder Bay Regional Health Services Centre.
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She → go → Centre
She died last Tuesday.
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She → die → ?
Following her death, Ms. Mamakwa’s family is working with First Nations leaders and the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, which delivers health programs and services to First Nations across Northwestern Ontario, to demand answers.
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which → follow → answers
“We will honour her dying wish by demanding full accountability,” said Alvin Fiddler, Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation.
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Fiddler → honour → Nation
NAN, representing 49 First Nations in Northern Ontario, says that the NIHB failed to arrange medical travel for Ms. Mamakwa’s four follow-up appointments.
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NIHB → represent → appointments
“It is outrageous that Miranda’s travel was denied,” Mr. Fiddler said.
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Fiddler → deny → ?
“There is no doubt in my mind that her life may have been saved if she had been allowed to travel to her appointments.”
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she → be → appointments
Federal Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty on Friday called for a review to learn what happened with Ms. Mamakwa’s requests for medical travel.
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what → call → travel
“I have instructed Indigenous Services Canada officials to urgently establish the facts surrounding Miranda’s death and the circumstances that led to it,” she wrote in a statement released on X.
Ms.
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she → instruct → X.
Gull-Masty said she would meet with the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and NAN to discuss what needs to happen next.
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what → say → Authority
A date has not been announced.
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date → announce → ?
The NIHB covers the cost of travel and accompanying expenses, including meals and hotel stays, when medically necessary care is not available in a First Nations or Inuit community.
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care → cover → community
The federal program, offered through Indigenous Services Canada, has been criticized by First Nations leaders, who have raised concerns about the bureaucratic red tape that makes it more difficult for Indigenous people to receive timely services.
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people → offer → services
Sonia Isaac-Mann, president and chief executive officer of the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority, said Ms. Mamakwa’s death underscores much wider issues of system failures.
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death → say → failures
The health authority and NAN say they have spent years warning the federal government about how delays and administrative failures put lives at risk.
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delays → say → risk
The organizations say Ms. Mamakwa’s death is the “clearest and most devastating proof yet” these were not exaggerated warnings.
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these → say → ?
Sol Mamakwa, the deputy leader of the Ontario NDP who is not related to Ms. Mamakwa, issued a recent statement that echoed the health authority and NAN’s call for accountability.
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that → relate → accountability
“Miranda deserved so much better,” he said.
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he → deserve → ?
He also noted how demonstrators held a rally in June in Sioux Lookout, urging Ottawa fix the NIHB program.
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Ottawa → note → program
“Miranda’s death was not an accident, but a result of both individual decisions and systemic failures that continue to compromise the lives of First Nations people in this province,” he said.
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he → continue → province
“It’s time the NIHB program and the federal government take accountability in Miranda’s death and acts to ensure that no more lives are lost because of the program’s failures.”
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lives → ’ → failures
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