Four suicides in a month, including two in the last week, have forced officials at Neskantaga First Nation to declare a state of emergency.
The remote fly-in community, located about 480 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, has seen seven self-inflicted deaths in the past year, not to mention 20 other attempts.
“We have reached a breaking point and our community is under crisis,” said Neskantaga First Nation Coun. Roy Moonias in a news release issued by Nishnawbe Aski Nation, after learning yesterday that a 19-year-old youth took his own life, while the community was putting to rest an individual who passed away under similar circumstances last week.
“Our community is exhausted emotionally and physically as we try to pick up the pieces from these tragic events.”
Nekantaga Chief Peter Moonias said police have yet to declare the second death a suicide, but he suspects they soon will.
The problems come just a few months after another young man took his life there in December, a tragedy that prompted the community to close ranks and put its youth on suicide watch to prevent additional deaths.
"One suicide, we could have handled.... Not easily, but we could have come back," said Moonias.
But the suicides are coming so close together that almost no one in the community of about 300 has been left untouched, he said. And now, they can't cope.
"Now we have nothing left. We have hardly anybody who is not affected in the community. The community situation right now is in a state of shock. A lot of them are wondering what will happen next. The live in fear that something else will happen."
Community and regional leaders decided to declare the state of emergency on Wednesday in order to mobilize help from the Red Cross and the Ontario government's emergency management office.
The community is facing pressure to respond to the increasing demands of the mining industry as preparations for the nearby Ring of Fire development ramp up.
Neskantaga officials are asking all levels of government, health providers, social service agencies and families to come together to address the situation.
“There are no treatments here, and more and more young people are taking their lives. This is unacceptable and something must change,” said Moonias.
“We are getting frustrated and concerned for your young people and entire community that Health Canada has not stepped-up to ensure we have adequate resourcing available to deal with and prevent such crippling incidents from taking place.”
The community is looking for more resources to support more policing, food, safe drinking water and accommodations for the support staff they expect to arrive in the community.
They are also looking to develop a longer-term healing strategy.
Peter Moonias is also hoping other First Nations will heed Neskantaga's cry for help.
"It will be a devastating thing for my people if nobody listens. Like we don't exist, you know?"
The Ojibway chief estimates that more than half the community's adults are addicted to OxyContin or other painkillers. Recently, he has seen evidence of trafficking in Tylenol too, selling for $5 a pill.
The limited health care resources made available to Neskantaga to deal with addictions have been insufficient and have not worked well, Moonias added.
"Let's help these young people," he said. "I don't want this to continue another day, another month."
With files from reporter Heather Scoffield of The Canadian Press
