(file photo)

By paNOW Staff

Suicide Crisis

Suicides prompt State of Crisis on Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation

Nov 22, 2019 | 8:53 AM

The Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation near Loon Lake has declared a State of Crisis and Emergency over the chronic amount of recent suicides and attempted suicides in the community.

In a media release issued Thursday evening CEO/Executive Director for Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation, Barry Chalifoux, said there had been tragedy on the First Nation in the past few weeks.

“We have had three completed suicides, tonight (Thursday) being the latest and our youngest at 10 years of age. Amongst all nine First Nations within MLTC our community has the highest rate of suicide with seven completed suicides in the last three years,” he said in the release.

Chalifoux said he and Chief Mitsuing both felt their staff were not ready or prepared to deal with the current level of crisis in the community; considering how close in timing each event has recently occurred.

He said his community support team was in need of immediate relief and called for “each and every school aged child to be assessed with parental permission at our school.”

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Chalifoux called for immediate funding to additionally support hiring a specified suicide support coordinator (as per recommendation by FSIN Suicide Intervention Strategy); as well as additional counsellors within our school to moderate risk levels throughout the next few months.

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

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panews@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow