BR Attawapiskat Challenges – CP

BR Attawapiskat Challenges (BR-Attawapiskat-Challeng)
Source: The Canadian Press – Broadcast wire
Apr 12, 2016 2:30

A young woman who grew up in the remote northern Ontario First Nation of Attawapiskat says she was deeply saddened when she heard her home community had declared a state of emergency over a recent spate of suicides.

But she wasn’t surprised.

Chelsea Edwards, who is studying policing in New Brunswick, says life can be hard in the James Bay community of about two-thousand, particularly for young people.

The 20-year-old says living in poverty, as is the case for many on the reserve, comes with a host of issues, including mental health, inadequate housing and food shortage challenges.

The state of emergency was declared by Attawapiskat’s chief and council on Saturday evening after the community’s 11th suicide attempt in the month of April and 28 suicide attempts in March.

Edwards says she understands the community’s plea for extra resources to deal with the situation, saying services are inadequate and under-funded.

She also says there’s often no social activity for young people in the community, which can lead to feelings of isolation.

The federal health minister says that five mental health workers have arrived in the community to address what she called “one of the most serious and pressing tragedies that our nation is facing.”

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(The Canadian Press)

INDEX: NATIONAL ONTARIO