Meeting people where they are: Bringing Diabetes care and screening to the Manishan Nui Gathering

Every September, Innu communities across Labrador gather at Gull Island for a week-long Manishan Nui Community Gathering. This gathering is an opportunity for community members to return to the land, embrace their traditional way of life and connect socially with others.

During the September 2024 gathering, the Labrador-Grenfell Zone Diabetes Team and the Family Care Team from Newfoundland Health Services were invited to spend a day at the Manishan Nui Community Gathering to provide on-site culturally relevant, community-based health services and diabetes support.

While the teams were at the gathering, they offered diabetes related services including blood sugar level testing, distributing diabetes supplies to those in need and offering meaningful assistance to those at the gathering.

The teams adopted a flexible approach to the services they offered that was tailored to the natural surroundings and needs of the people at the gathering. Carrying only backpacks and camping chairs, team members walked from tent to tent to offer support and information on health and diabetes.

Word of their presence and services quickly spread. People began approaching the teams to ask questions, request for blood sugar level checks and get diabetes supplies that they had forgotten at home.

In one instance, a driver in a passing truck turned his vehicle around after the passengers recognized the health team and asked to have their blood sugar levels checked.

In another moment, a man, concerned about his family history of diabetes, nervously approached the team. He was encouraged to test his blood sugar privately and was openly relieved when he learned that his blood sugar levels were within the normal range. "He could not believe that he didn't have to carry this worry with him anymore," one team member shared.

The natural and nonclinical setting created a comfortable and encouraging space so those in attendance could engage in more open conversations and build positive relationships. "Meeting community members where they were at created more trust," said Diabetes Nurse Educator Terri Lucas. "What we did mattered that day in a different way."

Later, the team members were invited to sit by the fire and participate in community-led activities. This created another opportunity to connect with community members, answer questions about insulin and dispel misinformation about diabetes. This informal approach created a less clinical and more personal approach to health care and its services.

By the end of the day, the teams received many new referrals to their diabetes education program and answered a wide range of health-related questions.

This story highlights the importance of meeting people where they are at physically, emotionally and culturally. By joining the community in a familiar and respectful setting and on their terms, the Diabetes Team and the Family Care Team had the opportunity to connect with Innu communities while delivering more personalized and meaningful health care services.

This annual gathering was held once again in 2025, taking place over 5 days from September 22–26.