Leadership from Flying Dust First Nation and the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) gathered in Saskatoon on Tuesday afternoon to demand systemic changes to Saskatchewan’s health-care system following the death of 36-year-old Chelsea Bear and one of her newborn twins.
Bear, a mother of five from Flying Dust First Nation, died of a hemorrhage in a Saskatoon hospital on August 12, 2026—just one day after being discharged from a hospital in Meadow Lake. Her surviving twin daughter, Gracie, remains in intensive care.
At the press conference, family members and tribal leaders raised serious concerns regarding Bear’s medical treatment, citing long wait times, poor communication between hospital staff and the family, and the decision to discharge her prior to her death.
Speaking through grief, Chelsea’s mother, Debbie Bear, emphasized that her family wants to prevent similar tragedies from happening to others.
“And I just don’t want this ever to happen to anybody else… nobody deserves to go through what my girl and her baby went through,” Bear said. “And I just don’t want to point fingers at anybody, I just don’t want this ever to happen to anybody else.”
Leadership noted that Bear’s death follows another recent tragedy in the province. Just months prior, Jaali Sutherland died in a Saskatoon hospital due to complications from preeclampsia during her pregnancy.
“This is a system that needs to get better,” said MLTC Cree Vice-Chief Richard Durocher.
Flying Dust First Nation Chief Tyson Bear stressed that the community is seeking a complete and transparent review of the circumstances surrounding Chelsea’s care.
“We are not here to make conclusions about what happened, we are calling on thorough, independent, and transparent investigation, and Chelsea’s family can get the answers they deserve,” Chief Tyson Bear said.
MLTC Tribal Chief Jeremy Norman confirmed the tribal council has been in contact with the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), which stated an investigation is underway. However, Norman voiced frustration over comments made by SHA officials ahead of the news conference.
“One of the SHA people that we were meeting with basically told us, ‘Keep quiet, because it’s so hard to get doctors in our region. It’s so hard to get people to come and work in the north.’ That’s not the answer,” Norman said.
Norman added that provincial health authorities should focus on delivering more resources and equitable care to northern communities rather than asking grieving families to stay silent.
In a response to MBC News, the Saskatchewan Health Authority expressed deep condolences for the tragic loss and confirmed a thorough patient safety review is underway. The SHA says they have met with the family and are engaging with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council to address community concerns. However they do say specific clinical details cannot be shared to protect patient privacy.
No further updates were provided on the condition of surviving twin Gracie, who remains under care in the intensive care unit.
(TOP PHOTO: A photo of Chelsea Bear displayed at the press conference. Photo by Joel Willick)