Canada's First Nation's suicide crisis

[nursewife]

Has anyone else been following this? I'm absolutely appalled that this is happening, and not much is being done to help.


www.ctvnews.ca/canada/assembly-of-first-nations-chief-calls-for-national-suicide-strategy-1.2813889


WINNIPEG -- Canada's top aboriginal chief says there needs to be a national strategy to fight what he calls a devastating suicide epidemic faced by indigenous communities across the country.
National Chief Perry Bellegarde with the Assembly of First Nations says his heart goes out to the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba, where six people have killed themselves in the last two months.
After a speech in Winnipeg on Friday, Bellegarde said the issue goes beyond the community 500 kilometres north of the city, which is also known as Cross Lake. Indigenous youth are up to seven times more likely to commit suicide than the national average, he said.

"It's a bigger issue than just Cross Lake," Bellegarde said. "There's got to be a huge intervention there, but also in a lot of communities across Canada. There's got to be a national strategy on mental health to deal with the youth suicide that is rampant amongst our communities."
That strategy has to include adequate mental-health supports, as well as recreational facilities, proper education and the restoration of cultural pride among young people, he suggested.
"Our young people need hope and inspiration," Bellegarde said. "They don't see that right now. We've got to make those key strategic interventions now. It's a life-and-death situation."
In addition to the suicides, another 140 people from Cross Lake have attempted suicide or threatened to kill themselves. Another 100 kids are on a suicide watch.
The grief-stricken community declared a state of emergency earlier this week in the hope of getting extra support for exhausted health professionals.
The reserve is asking for at least six mental-health workers and round-the-clock counsellors in the short term. The band council is also calling for increased job opportunities, a hospital and youth recreational facilities.
The federal indigenous affairs minister, as well as the health minister, have said Ottawa is doing everything it can to help the community right away, while trying to address the underlying reasons why so many indigenous people commit suicide.
Provincial officials said a health crisis team was scheduled to arrive in Cross Lake on Friday.
Bellegarde said it shouldn't have taken a declaration of emergency to raise government support.
"Governments have known for a number of years about the high suicide rate amongst our people."
Grand Chief Sheila North Wilson, who represents northern Manitoba First Nations including Cross Lake, said the reserve is grateful for the support it's received so far but people are still in shock.
"It is overwhelming and they're hoping that it will stop soon," said North Wilson, who compared the crisis to a recent school shooting in La Loche, Sask.
"This is the Manitoba La Loche except the shooter is society, how we withhold services that our communities need."

[isabel]

How awful.

[SallyJ]

I've only read about on this side of the bordive. NA, especially those who live on the reservations, face the same issues. And not much help either.

[anastasia517]

The treatment of Native Americans and the racism towards them for the last 500 years is Canada's national shame. It is one of those things that I don't even know how we could begin to really, truly fix.

[nursewife]

Mar 11, 2016 20:53:32 GMT -5 SallyJ said:

I've only read about on this side of the bordive. NA, especially those who live on the reservations, face the same issues. And not much help either.

It's really bothering me. I work in a city of 31,000 people as a nurse. I keep thinking, if this happened here, it would completely overwhelm our services and hospital. It would absolutely be addressed by a flood of health care workers, money, and other supports. It's an absolute travesty that they are treated so poorly, especially in a country with universal health care.

[nursewife]

Mar 11, 2016 23:01:12 GMT -5 anastasia517 said:

The treatment of Native Americans and the racism towards them for the last 500 years is Canada's national shame. It is one of those things that I don't even know how we could begin to really, truly fix.

This, the Highway of Tears, and all the murders is just disgusting. I'd love to see Trudeau do more. I'm really hating that so many people are using Trump's rising in the US as a way to treat out Native American's poorly.

[awick14]

I used to work as an EMT in an area that was primarily reserve land. Working up there was horrifying. The racism between them and everyone else that lived in the area was horrible.

I will never forget my first suicide call, he was so young but he had so much pain in his eyes.

I have no idea what will solve this issue. But I hope that Trudeau and our government do something about it.

[ribollita]

At least some of Australia's Aboriginal communities are facing similar problems, even in preteens. :-(

[nursewife]

Mar 12, 2016 2:40:18 GMT -5 awick14 said:

I used to work as an EMT in an area that was primarily reserve land. Working up there was horrifying. The racism between them and everyone else that lived in the area was horrible.

I will never forget my first suicide call, he was so young but he had so much pain in his eyes.

I have no idea what will solve this issue. But I hope that Trudeau and our government do something about it.

I'm sorry for everything you've seen. It's awful how our First Nation's communities have been treated.

[laterbloomer]

Mar 11, 2016 23:01:12 GMT -5 anastasia517 said:

The treatment of Native Americans and the racism towards them for the last 500 years is Canada's national shame. It is one of those things that I don't even know how we could begin to really, truly fix.

I'm not defending the treatment of First Nations when it comes to treaties and wars etc. However this gets really tricky. Reserves insist on being self governing. They insist on control of the transfer payments given to them. That kind of contradicts the government being responsible for solving their issues.

We have many groups working on strategies for suicide prevention. First Nations are not excluded from participating with those.

[imobviouslystaying]

Mar 11, 2016 23:03:53 GMT -5 nursewife said:

Mar 11, 2016 23:01:12 GMT -5 anastasia517 said:

The treatment of Native Americans and the racism towards them for the last 500 years is Canada's national shame. It is one of those things that I don't even know how we could begin to really, truly fix.

This, the Highway of Tears, and all the murders is just disgusting. I'd love to see Trudeau do more. I'm really hating that so many people are using Trump's rising in the US as a way to treat out Native American's poorly.

Wut?

[KateAggie]

Mar 12, 2016 20:42:27 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

Mar 11, 2016 23:03:53 GMT -5 nursewife said:

This, the Highway of Tears, and all the murders is just disgusting. I'd love to see Trudeau do more. I'm really hating that so many people are using Trump's rising in the US as a way to treat out Native American's poorly.

Wut?

Canada's issues are caused by America.  They're still bitter about South Park's "Blame Canada."

[nursewife]

Mar 12, 2016 20:42:27 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

Mar 11, 2016 23:03:53 GMT -5 nursewife said:

This, the Highway of Tears, and all the murders is just disgusting. I'd love to see Trudeau do more. I'm really hating that so many people are using Trump's rising in the US as a way to treat out Native American's poorly.

Wut?

I said that poorly. There are a lot of people complaining about our Liberal government, and are literally jealous Trump isn't running in Canada. Trump followers aren't limited to the US, and it seems people are using his reasoning to attack other Canadians. I made the mistake of reading the comments, and Trump kept being brought up. 

[imobviouslystaying]

Mar 12, 2016 21:04:39 GMT -5 nursewife said:

Mar 12, 2016 20:42:27 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

Wut?

I said that poorly. There are a lot of people complaining about our Liberal government, and are literally jealous Trump isn't running in Canada. Trump followers aren't limited to the US, and it seems people are using his reasoning to attack other Canadians. I made the mistake of reading the comments, and Trump kept being brought up. 

I still don't understand.

Has Canadian issues surrounding First Nations gotten worse since Trump? Because that's what you're implying.

[iammalcolmx]

Mar 12, 2016 21:04:39 GMT -5 nursewife said:

Mar 12, 2016 20:42:27 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

Wut?

I said that poorly. There are a lot of people complaining about our Liberal government, and are literally jealous Trump isn't running in Canada. Trump followers aren't limited to the US, and it seems people are using his reasoning to attack other Canadians. I made the mistake of reading the comments, and Trump kept being brought up. 

Sounds like these people were assholes before. Don't blame our cluster of an election for these people being assholes.

[nursewife]

Mar 12, 2016 21:08:56 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

Mar 12, 2016 21:04:39 GMT -5 nursewife said:

I said that poorly. There are a lot of people complaining about our Liberal government, and are literally jealous Trump isn't running in Canada. Trump followers aren't limited to the US, and it seems people are using his reasoning to attack other Canadians. I made the mistake of reading the comments, and Trump kept being brought up. 

I still don't understand.

Has Canadian issues surrounding First Nations gotten worse since Trump? Because that's what you're implying.

IMO, racism has been worse everywhere due to him. I hate that because of Trump, racist people feel they have a voice. 

[teflepi]

Mar 12, 2016 21:21:53 GMT -5 iammalcolmx said:

Mar 12, 2016 21:04:39 GMT -5 nursewife said:

I said that poorly. There are a lot of people complaining about our Liberal government, and are literally jealous Trump isn't running in Canada. Trump followers aren't limited to the US, and it seems people are using his reasoning to attack other Canadians. I made the mistake of reading the comments, and Trump kept being brought up. 

Sounds like these people were assholes before. Don't blame our cluster of an election for these people being assholes.

I was thinking this----there are racists in every nation.  The US doesn't hold a patent on it.

[imobviouslystaying]

Mar 12, 2016 21:22:29 GMT -5 nursewife said:

Mar 12, 2016 21:08:56 GMT -5 imobviouslystaying said:

I still don't understand.

Has Canadian issues surrounding First Nations gotten worse since Trump? Because that's what you're implying.

IMO, racism has been worse everywhere due to him. I hate that because of Trump, racist people feel they have a voice. 

Oh fuck you.

This shit is NOTHING FUCKING NEW. No one in America or Canada was coasting along all racism free and then suddenly blammo, Trump shows up and magic bigotry just spouts up from the ground draping everyone in white hoods.

This would be like saying Europe LOVED the Jews until Hitler showed up and told them not to.

Get out of here with this.

[rugbywife]

Trump has been around for about .00000001% of the time we have been treating our Aboriginal peoples like shit. He can be blamed for lots of stuff, but not this.

[nursewife]

Mar 12, 2016 21:37:25 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Trump has been around for about .00000001% of the time we have been treating our Aboriginal peoples like shit. He can be blamed for lots of stuff, but not this.

Sorry about that. After reading a few of the racist comments and seeing Trump's name I was seeing red.