Help established quickly after Labrador reserve has 10 suicide attempts in a week

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The chief of a central Labrador Indigenous community facing a rash of suicide attempts says resources are beginning to come together that can pave the way for longterm solutions.

Chief Eugene Hart of the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation says wide response from other communities and government agencies has helped establish much-needed 24-hour counselling services.

“It’s helping a little bit because it gives everybody a place to go,” Hart said in an interview Thursday. “The door is open and you can go there whatever hour you want.”

Earlier in the week, Hart issued a statement declaring a crisis after 10 suicide attempts by young people following the death of a 20-year-old woman last weekend.

He did not say how the young woman died, but RCMP confirmed the body of a 20-yearold woman was recovered from nearby Lake Melville last Saturday after a report of drowning.

Hart said the community of roughly 1,300 has also been dealing with more than a dozen natural deaths over the last few months, and the grief has hit young people especially hard.

Each death can trigger tough memories for those who have lost loved ones, Hart said

Thursday.

He said overburdened local support staff need extra hands on deck to stop the crisis from getting worse, so community leaders can set a course forward.

“It can burn you out pretty fast, but you need your local staff,” he said. “We just need more resources put in place from different government agencies to help us get through this.”

Hart said he was focused on setting up additional counselling by Friday, which was expected to be a tough day as people prepared to gather for the funeral of the 20-year-old woman.

He said activities that bring youth onto the land, spending time with their families and being immersed in their language are important steps toward long-term healing.