Wapekeka plea for help as suicide of child renews fears of death pact
Northern First Nation band declares state of emergency over mental health crisis
Wapekeka First Nation has declared a state of emergency after the suicide of 12-year-old Jenera Roundsky last week sent 35 kids into a mental health crisis and ignited fears that a suicide pact that gripped the community in January still exists. Wapekeka band manager Joshua Frogg said “this is a very high number for a small community like ours,” Frogg said of the community of 400 Oji-Cree about 400 kilometres northeast of Sioux Lookout, Ont.
“Our people are getting tired. So now little kids, 10-, 11-, 12-year-olds are helping our people as first responders and this is not acceptable. They are the ones at risk.
“We need help, boots on the ground, people properly trained to assess and determine and help as needed — we don’t need 11- and 12-year-olds on the front lines trying to save their friends, that adds trauma,” Frogg said.
The remote, fly-in First Nation has been in a state of crisis after the deaths of two 12-year-old girls in January. Jolynn Winter took her life on Jan. 8 and her friend, Chantell Fox, followed her two days later.
Wapekeka has appealed to the Canadian Red Cross, which is trying to figure out how they can best help, said media relations adviser Jennifer Ouellette.
“As the community identifies what assistance is required, the Red Cross will continue to be actively engaged in these discussions to determine how we might be able to support the Wapekeka First Nation during this very difficult time, based on our capacity, resources and areas of expertise,” she said.
The community does not have the money to pay for more fly-in help, said Frogg.
Earlier this year, Health Canada promised Wapekeka $380,000 in emergency funding but only $95,000 has arrived and that was spent by the end of March on new mental health workers, Frogg said.
“We still don’t have that money the feds promised. I’m the band manager, I look after the finances and that money is not there yet. I’m moving financial resources from other programs in order to help our people. We are stressed and maxed to the limit,” he said.
Wapekeka requested $380,000 last summer when the community discovered a suicide pact among its teenagers. Health Canada originally refused. However, the federal health authority changed its mind after an anonymous donor came forward and offered to pay the $380,000. But that donor has since rescinded his offer.
Dr. Michael Kirlew, a physician in the Sioux Lookout Region who is heading to Wapekeka, credited the First Nation for coming up with a plan last year and trying to get it funded.
“Communities have put forward solutions. It is not as if Wapekeka wasn’t doing anything and just waiting around. It has been almost a year,” Kirlew said, adding the health system is not equitable for Indigenous people and that the kids have no access to the mental-health services needed.
“How many youth are going to have to die before we get system transformation. Is it four? Is it five? We need to transform the system or else we won’t improve the outcomes,” he said.
Gary Holub, a spokesperson for Health Canada, said the $95,000 payment was the “balance owing” from the fiscal year 2016-2017 and that the department is committed to providing Wapekeka with $380,000 in enhanced funding until 2019.
Since last winter, Health Canada has continued to fund additional crisis supports, including three staff rotating every 10 days, up to four mental-health counsellors, administration and ground transportation, not- ed the department in a statement to the Star.
“Since the beginning of the current fiscal year (April 1), Health Canada has provided Wapekeka with close to $1 million for the delivery of their community health programs. On May 9, Health Canada also provided a letter of commitment to Chief (Brennan) Sainnawap confirming $380,000 annually (until March 2019), which will fund four youth mental-health workers who were requested by the community,” the statement said, adding the workers are already in place.
Health Canada is now providing “more than $900,000 on an annual basis for mental wellness programs,” the statement said.
This latest crisis was touched off by the death of Jenera Roundsky, a 12year-old girl whose body was discovered at the outdoor ice rink on June 13 by another 12-year-old, Frogg said. Now there is concern for that child’s well-being.
“That stays with you for a long, long time. I have had to cut down one person (who had hanged themselves), many years ago. It stays with you forever. It never goes away. Can you imagine a child?” he asked.
Trauma teams from Sioux Lookout that stay for a period of 10 days then rotate out will hopefully be soon in place for the next year, Frogg said.
The anonymous donor pulled his funding support after the community questioned his “very detailed agreement” on how the money would be used.
“I’m used to looking after reporting to the federal government and the province, but this one was something else. I couldn’t do it, the way he wanted it done. We said we’d use the money — since the federal government was coming through with the $380,000 — toward their annual anti-suicide conference. People look forward to it every year. They come from all over. But then he pulled the money,” he said. “It was disheartening.” Wapekeka, for years, was proactive in ensuring healing and suicide prevention through community plans and their annual Survivors of Suicide Conference, but lack of funds led to its cancellation.
Health Canada now says it will fund the conference once again.