Thompson is set to host the 2026 annual general meeting for the organization that oversees First Nations child and family services across northern Manitoba. The First Nations of Northern Manitoba Child and Family Services Authority, known as the Northern Authority, will present its 2025-2026 annual report and highlight the work of its seven member agencies during the meeting on September 23.
The gathering will include opening and closing prayers by Elders, traditional drum songs, and remarks from Grand Chiefs, Chiefs, government officials, and Northern Authority leaders. The event will also be livestreamed on the Authority’s Facebook page, allowing residents from all 27 First Nation communities served by the Authority to tune in.
One of the seven agencies under the Northern Authority is the Kinosao Sipi Minisowin Agency, which serves the Norway House Cree Nation. That community has 9,369 registered members, and the agency was first incorporated in 1999 after local leaders pushed for a community-based child and family services model.
The Northern Authority was created in 2003 by provincial legislation, and its role is to coordinate service delivery through agencies such as the Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba, which has its head office in Thompson. From 2014 to 2017, the Authority operated under provincial administration, but since then a board of directors has overseen its work with support from the province and the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak.
For families in Norway House and across the north, the meeting offers a chance to hear directly about how child welfare services are being managed and what improvements are being made. The full list of agencies under the Authority includes Awasis Agency of Northern Manitoba, Cree Nation Child & Family Caring Agency, Island Lake First Nations Family Services, Kinosao Sipi Minisowin Agency, Nikan Awasisak Agency Inc., Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation FCWC, and Opaskwayak Cree Nation Child and Family Services.
