Commit to saving lives

Could this be the week Canadians finally awaken to the enormity of the suicide crisis ravaging the country’s Indigenous communities and agree to stop it? Could this be the week the epidemic of children killing themselves in remote reserves convinces us all to work together to ease the suffering and save lives?

There were promising signals on Monday from Ontario, federal and Indigenous leaders that meaningful emergency measures are being taken to help Northern Ontario’s Nishnawbe Aski Nation.

Nationwide, the suicide rate for Indigenous men is 126 per 100,000 — five times the rate for non-Indigenous males, while the rate for Indigenous women is 35 per 100,000, seven times the rate for non-Indigenous females. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations. This is a national scandal and it’s time to shout “enough.”

Canadians should admit the provision of health care, including mental-health support, on First Nations reserves is inadequate and inequitable. That must change. But Canadians must also realize health-care funding is just one problem facing reserves and that substandard housing, unsafe water supplies and grinding poverty all feed the suicide crisis.

The last factor deserves special attention. People living on remote reserves often have poor access to good jobs and decent incomes. Building sustainable economies must be a priority. Many Indigenous communities have established vibrant local economies. Their insights and involvement are urgently required now.