Attawapiskat suicide crisis gets help, but will it last? MPP asks

The member of the Ontario Legislature forAttawapiskatsayshe is skeptical about how long help for the remote First Nationcommunity will last, as it struggles with asuicide crisis.

NDP MPP GillesBisson, who representsTimmins-JamesBay at Queen's Park, said he's seen these crises play out before.

"Three years ago, when grand chief then StanLoutitdeclared a state of emergency in the similar type of situation, the province responded by givingPayukotayno[children's mental health services]about $1.5 millionto be able to provide services to be able to deal withcounselling, etc., so that we can help people," he said.

"And once the cameras rolled away, about two years later, the government withdrew the funding and then some. So I'm not surprised we are where we are."

Bissonabout the issuewith CBC Sudbury's Morning North radio show hostThursday morning.

Morning North8:32Report from Queen's Park - Gilles Bisson

The MPP for Timmins James Bay, Gilles Bisson, was our geust for our Report from Queen's Park. He spoke to us about the community of Attawapiskat and about the suicide crisis there.

Attawapiskatwill get some help addressing its suicide crisisafter the province kicked in around $2 million to pay for more support workers and a youth centre.

The First Nation near the James Bay coastdeclared a state of emergency over the weekend because of an increasing number of suicide attempts.

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Chief BruceShisheeshinvited provincial ministers and the chief of the Assembly of First Nations, PerryBellegarde, to see the situationfirst-hand.

"We're losing our future our future chiefs, our future doctors, future nurses, future officers,"Shisheeshsaid Wednesday.

Morning North7:28A glimmer of hope for Attawapiskat

Some big promises made in Attawapiskat as provincial Health Minister Erik Hoskins pays a visit to the community. The CBC's Olivia Stefanovich joined us from Attawapiskat to tell us what's being offered by the province.

After the meeting with the chief, Ontario Health Minister EricHoskinsannounced the province would provide up to $2 million to fund four mental health workers, up to five nurses, two security people, one communications person and aco-ordinator 13 staff in total for 30 days.

Seventeen-year-oldSyvannaKoostachinsaid she's grateful the government has listened to her community's cry for help.

"It gives me hope that things are changing around here," she said.

The province is expected to make more announcements in the coming weeks.

"Our government will be working with the community in the coming days to determine other supports and investments that can be made to help address this crisis,"Hoskinssaid in a statement.

"The provincial government, the local band council and the community will hold a forum to develop a long-term plan to support the community to ensure the people ofAttawapiskat particularly youth feel safe, respected and supported."

Glimmer of hope?

Hoskinssaid his visit toAttawapiskatwas just as devastating as the years he spent as a doctor in war zones around the world.

He saidhis meeting with a group of youth on Wednesdaywas overwhelmingly emotional, but also provided a glimmer of hope.

"I was so impressed at their courage,"Hoskinssaid, "but also that there is a path and they've pointed the way as to what should happen."

Hoskinssaid he was taken aback when some of the children he met Wednesday were under the age of 10.

"It's deeply upsetting that when you have children that young that are in such pain or have lost hope that they're turning to that kind of consideration;it just demonstrates just how serious this situation is and how important action is,"Hoskinssaid.

'There's choice involved'

In Ottawa, Carolyn Bennett, the federal minister of indigenous and northern affairs, said she was heartened by this week's efforts to help the community.

"There is certainly a feeling on the ground that there's been good progress this week and excitement about the idea of a youth drop-in centre, the idea there'd be a youth council that would be involved in the choices and the priorities," she said outside the House of Commons.

"We're going to be able, I think, to work with that community to work on what their priorities are and what they need."

She added the federal government is "absolutely obsessed" with overhauling the child welfare system on First Nations to "support families and support the wellness of those moms and dads, so that those kids end up not having to be removed from their communities."

Bennett was asked about former prime minister JeanChrtien'ssuggestion this week that those living on remote reserves could consider moving.

"It is about people's attachment to the land, people having a right to live a traditional life and but also with economic opportunities," she said.

"There's choice involved. Some communities have chosen to change their location to no longer be flooded and be on higher ground. Some community members choose to go to town to get a job, but then be able to come back. But this is about us wanting to support the choices."

Acts of solidarity withAttawapiskat

A group of aboriginal rights activists, meantime, staged a sit-in at the Toronto offices of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, saying they were acting in solidarity withAttawapiskat.

Protesters took over the front lobby space of the office, housed in a building located in midtown Toronto, hanging an upside-down Canadian flag at the reception desk and a flag of theAttawapiskatFirst Nation on a wall.

The group said they had two key demands that Prime Minister JustinTrudeauvisitAttawapiskatimmediately, and that the needs of the youth ofAttawapiskat, which include calls for better resources for young people, be met.

"WhenTrudeausays that he's going up there and that the demands of the young people who wrote this are being addressed and being taken seriously, then you're going to see us leave," saidSigridKneve, who had pinned a sheet with the youth demands onto her clothing.

Young people inAttawapiskatheld a celebratory bonfire last night, symbolizing the sense of hope they believe is beginning to build in the community.

Inside Attawapiskat

8 years ago

Duration 2:39

We go inside Attawapiskat, the First Nation that is under-resourced and overwhelmed by a suicide crisis.