3Nations sign health declaration to transform services across northern B.C.
Published 12:30 pm Tuesday, February 10, 2026
The Tahltan, Kaska, and Taku River Tlingit Nations have signed a declaration to reshape health and wellness services across their territories, committing to a community-led and culturally grounded approach.
Signed Feb. 5 in Whitehorse, the 3Nations Transformational Health Declaration formalizes collaboration between the 3Nations Society, the First Nations Health Authority, the First Nations Health Council Northern Region, Northern Health Authority and the Ministry of Health. It follows a 2025 memorandum of understanding between the 3Nations Board and the First Nations Health Authority, which laid out a roadmap for regional health transformation and long-term resource commitments.
“Guided by the 3Nations Vision, we are transforming health and wellness services to reflect who we are, how we live, and the future we are building together,” said Kerry Carlick, president of the Tahltan Central Government.
The declaration builds on a 2024 environmental scan that identified significant service gaps and barriers to access across the 3Nations’ collective territory, which spans 24 per cent of British Columbia. In response, the Nations established the Wholistic Health and Wellness Task Force, comprised of health directors and frontline workers from each of the seven communities: Atlin, Lower Post, Good Hope Lake, Dease Lake, Telegraph Creek, Iskut and Fort Ware.
The declaration outlines five key priorities for the partnership. These include creating a formal 3Nations Transformative Health Agreement, strengthening health, healing and wellness services for all community members, and expanding access to culturally safe care through virtual, mobile and in-person options. The plan also commits to aligning health system changes with Indigenous values and worldviews, and establishing three Implementation Tables to guide and oversee the development of the regional Health and Wellness Plan.
The Ministry of Health described the declaration as “an important step forward,” with Minister Josie Osborne stating, “When Nations lead the planning and delivery of care, the result is services that are more responsive, culturally safe and grounded in community priorities.”
According to 3Nations Society spokesperson Charmaine Thom of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, the agreement reflects decades of collaboration and a shared readiness to drive meaningful change.
Northern Health also expressed support for the next phase of the work. “Northern Health is fully committed to the Implementation Tables and the deep collaboration needed to carry this forward,” said Nicole Cross, vice-president of Indigenous Health.
The 3Nations Society is a community-led partnership mandated to address collective priorities with urgency, including health and wellness. Its leadership emphasized that the declaration marks a shift toward health systems that are designed and directed by the Nations themselves.
“Our government is committed to working in true partnership with the Tahltan, Kaska and Taku River Tlingit Nations to improve health outcomes across their territories,” said Osborne.
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