SCO Expresses Profound Sorrow Over Tragic Passing of 25-Year-Old Shandi Cook
Press Release
October 22, 2025
ANISHINAABE AND DAKOTA TERRITORY, MB — The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) expresses profound sorrow and deep concern over the tragic death of a 25-year-old First Nation mother, Shandi Reann Cook, in the Swan Valley/Swan River area of Manitoba.
According to family reports, Shandi presented to the Swan Valley Health Centre on October 11 with severe symptoms, including difficulty breathing and coughing up blood. She was sent home after being told nothing was wrong. Early the next morning, her father found she had passed away in her sleep.
“The passing of Shandi Cook is a heartbreaking and unacceptable loss,” shared Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “Shandi was a young mother, a foster parent, and a pillar in her family and community. The fact she was reportedly turned away by a hospital while in crisis, and later died overnight, demands accountability and urgent investigation.”
Preliminary reports suggest Shandi, who was living with leukemia, received dismissive treatment when she sought care—this is a serious matter considering her visible distress and risk indicators.
The family alleges that institutional bias and discrimination may have played a role in her treatment and discharge. This case raises broader questions around trust, equity of care, timely response, and the removal of systemic barriers for First Nations citizens who are attempting to access health care in rural Manitoba.
“SCO calls on the provincial government and health authorities to launch an independent, transparent review of Shandi’s treatment and hospital discharge,” said Grand Chief Daniels. “We demand the involvement of Indigenous-led oversight to ensure community voice and culturally safe frameworks in health-care investigations. It is essential for immediate steps to improve protocols at rural health centres to prevent further tragedies, especially where First Nations patients present with acute symptoms and are deemed high risk.”
Shandi Cook leaves behind a young son and a legacy of caring for her younger siblings after the homicide death of her mother, the late Melissa Cook, whose death is still under investigation.
The loss of Shandi Cook is deeply felt. SCO offers our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and community, and commits to standing with them in their pursuit of answers and justice.
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The Southern Chiefs’ Organization represents 32 First Nations and more than 87,000 citizens in what is now called southern Manitoba. SCO is an independent political organization that protects, preserves, promotes, and enhances First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.
For media inquiries:
Email: Media@scoinc.mb.ca
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