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Dr. Barry Lavallee, a prominent Indigenous physician whose work focused on improving health care for First Nations and Métis people in Manitoba, has died, Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin said Tuesday.
Lavallee served as CEO of Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc., a health-care organization supporting 23 northern Manitoba First Nations.
Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin said Lavallee had a “powerful voice” and was a “fearless advocate for those who faced injustice and harm.”
In a Tuesday statement, KIM called Lavallee a “visionary leader who has always been a great support for First Nations people in the North.”
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said in a statement that Lavallee “fought tirelessly for First Nations people facing harm, inequity, and systemic racism.”
Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told CBC News Lavallee’s death is being felt across First Nations communities in Manitoba and beyond.
“Dr. Lavallee was a very bright, positive person. He was just a very smart, intelligent, compassionate person,” Wilson said in an interview Tuesday.
“It’s a loss for all of our communities.”
Wilson said Lavallee spent years advocating for improved health care and better outcomes for First Nations people, both through direct care and through research and policy work.
“He has done so much work in terms of advocacy for the health and well-being of First Nations, not only in Manitoba, but across the country as well,” she said.
‘Generous with his time’
Wilson noted that Lavallee provided medical services to many First Nations, both on- and off-reserve, and said she had a personal connection to his work.
“I remember at one point when I was a young student, he was a physician of mine,” she said, adding that he was “always so very helpful and so kind and generous with his time in supporting First Nations when it comes to health and wellness.”
She said Lavallee helped bring attention to longstanding inequities in health care faced by First Nations people.
“He brought to light a lot of the issues that we have seen as First Nations and really showcased the disparities when it comes to health outcomes for First Nations,” Wilson said.
Wilson said she believes Lavallee’s legacy will be felt through the work he helped advance.
“I believe his legacy is the health outcomes and solutions for First Nations not only in Manitoba, but also across this country,” she said.
She added that the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs is offering its support to Lavallee’s family and community.
“We’re here for his family and for his community,” Wilson said.
