Nishnawbe Aski First Nations Demand Immediate Action on Rising Mental Health Crisis – NetNewsLedger
January 25, 2024
(Ottawa, ON) – First Nations leadership from Nishnawbe Aski Nations in Treaty 9 territory convened in an emergency meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday, confronting a dire mental health crisis that threatens to worsen without swift government intervention. Government Ministers and officials were warned of a rising tide of suicides among the youth that demands immediate attention.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation has voiced alarm over a spate of suicides and attempts within their communities, including young lives tragically cut short in Sachigo Lake and Deer Lake First Nations. The crisis has been compounded by the unexplained deaths of two other young individuals in Thunder Bay, with calls for thorough investigations into the matters.
Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the NAN, bearing the weight of these tragedies, called attention to the intense pressure and the accompanying financial and emotional toll these events have taken on the communities.
