The chief of the remote northern Ontario community of Attawapiskat First Nation is calling for an urgent meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after nine more community members attempted to take their own lives.
Chief Bruce Shisheesh tweeted there had been nine more attempted suicides or overdoses in the community on Tuesday.
Last month, chief and council for the Attawapiskat First Nation declared a state of an emergency after an epidemic of suicide attempts in the community, including 11 attempts in one night and approximately 100 since August.
Shisheesh shared a photo of a letter addressed to the prime minister urging for Trudeau’s intervention.
READ MORE: Emergency aid arriving in Attawapiskat, but what about long-term solutions?
“I’m writing to you today on a matter of life and death, your intervention is immediately required, which is in crisis of attempted suicide by our youth,” the chief wrote.
Shisheesh requested Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett and Health Minister Jane Philpott be a part of the meeting.
“While the effort of your ministers is appreciated to date, it falls short of finding a permanent solution for our youth here in Attawapiskat,” the chief wrote.
In April, Shisheesh said the lack of housing and poor living conditions are among the issues contributing to the crisis.
“There’s a lot of issues like housing crisis, overcrowded. There could be 15 people living in one house. There could be 20 people living in one house,” Shisheesh told Global News last month.
“I’m homeless, leading my own community,” Shisheesh said. “I sleep on a couch, how would you feel if you were leading Attawapiskat and you didn’t have a home or a place to sleep. I feel for my people, I know what they’re going through…it gets depressing.”
READ MORE: Indigenous affairs minister gets earful on visit to Attawapiskat
The chief made the comments after a 10-year-old child was said to be one of the 11 people who tried to kill themselves in one night.
The Indigenous Affairs minister and Timmins-North Bay MP Charlie Angus met with Shisheesh last month in Attawapiskat for a private, two-hour meeting.
Bennett was able to commit to a new, properly equipped youth centre as well as some programming for young people, a key demand in the isolated northern Ontario reserve.
In addition, a youth delegation from across the region will be invited to Ottawa.
Angus said the youth centre was an important beginning in ending what he called this “cycle of despair.”
“I’m pleased we have something deliverable for the young people,” Angus said.
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READ MORE: Attawapiskat in state of emergency after 11 suicide attempts on Saturday; nearly 100 since August
However, Shisheesh is urging to meet again with the Trudeau and ministers before the Assembly of First Nations Annual General Meeting in June.
“Time is our enemy and we cannot afford to delay immediate action, and we may have more of our youth die or attempt to end their precious live,” the chief wrote.
Late Wednesday, Shisheesh said on Twitter there are “50 identified high risk cases – including 10-14 teenage multiple suicide attempters” that require interventions.
The Prime Minister’s Office hasn’t acknowledge the letter, Shisheesh said on Twitter Thursday.
–with a file from The Canadian Press
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