Delays are expected along the Trans Canada Highway Friday evening at the Manitoba/Ontario border. A ceremony is being planned as Manitoba First Nations come together to fight back against inequalities they face in day-to-day life.

"We have a government that's digging into our pockets. We've been pushed to the margins of society. We're not given the same opportunity because of the conditions that have been created," says Jerry Daniels.

Daniels, the Grand Chief of the Southern Chiefs Organization, which represents 34 southern First Nation communities, says that Friday's gathering is one of unity, and it's one of several planned across Manitoba moving forward.

"We're hoping to have our people come together to sing, dance and smudge the area. It's a ceremony of unity. We're hoping to bring people together to work together to address the very important issues facing Indigenous peoples."

Daniels says that some of the main issues communities are hoping to raise awareness of including Indigenous self-jurisdiction, mental health and addictions concerns, a lack of sufficient health care, the child welfare system and more.

"The crisis is getting bigger and bigger, way quicker than we can even address it. We need true partnership. We're not even at the table. We really need their cooperation, but they're not including us in any meaningful way. Somebody has to do something.'

A significant financial issue involves an agreement between Manitoba's Indigenous communities and the Province of Manitoba on tobacco taxation. Daniels says the agreement was originally a 90 percent to 10 percent split between communities and the province, but it was allegedly changed after a provincial audit to a 55 percent and 45 percent split, without notice.

"Our communities have very little economic development. We don't have a great deal of support. We've been relegated to controversial resource extraction projects. But we're in such a bad financial position, we're almost forced to accept these projects to try to create revenues. We have a government that's digging into our pockets. We've been pushed to the margins of society."

Daniels hopes that the series of planned protests will help to draw attention to the issues. Friday's gathering on the provincial border will be taking place between 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm. Daniels adds that traffic will be allowed to move through, though delays should be expected.

"We don't want to hurt people. We're hoping that people would dance with us. We're not planning on shutting the road down indefinitely. We'll have sequences where we'll allow people through. We know that people want to get out there and spend time at their cabins."

During the interview, Daniels said he was aware of the threats made on social media against the protest and understood their concerns, but stressed that Indigenous communities have been waiting a long time for the support he feels they deserve.

"We've been waiting a very long time. It's so important that we're treated fairly. We really should be the wealthiest people in the country, but we're not. We're not violent people, but as soon as we try to stand up to our rights, we're threatened with them. We're not given the same opportunity because of the conditions that have been created."

Residents are asked to slow down and move over while the gathering is taking place.