02/02/2026
Remembering Jordan River Anderson
(October 22, 1999-February 2, 2005)
Today we honour the memory of Jordan River Anderson, a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation whose short life changed the course of history for First Nation children across Canada.
Jordan spent all five years of his life in hospital. Born with complex medical needs, he required specialized care that should have allowed him to live at home with his family. Instead, Jordan remained in a Winnipeg hospital while the federal and provincial governments argued over who should pay for his at-home care.
By the time the jurisdictional dispute was finally resolved, Jordan had passed away in hospital never having spent a single day in a family home.
Jordan's Principle:
From this tragedy came Jordan's Principle, a child-first principle that ensures First Nations children can access the health, social, and educational services they need without delay or denial. When jurisdictional disputes arise, the government department of first contact must pay for the service, and disputes about costs are resolved later.
Jordan's Principle recognizes that First Nations children should have equal access to services and honours Jordan's memory by ensuring no other child experiences what he did.
His Legacy Lives On:
Though Jordan never had the chance to go home, his legacy continues to help countless First Nation children and families. Jordan's Principle has supported hundreds of thousands of First Nations children in accessing necessary services, from medical equipment and educational supports to cultural programming.
Today, we remember Jordan River Anderson, a child who deserved better, whose life mattered, and whose legacy continues to make a difference for First Nation children across this land.