The chief of one of Canada’s most troubled and impoverished northern reserves says his community needs immediate help, and the addition of two mental health workers just won’t be enough.
Attawapiskat chief Bruce Shisheesh told Global News that his meeting earlier this week with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau went well, and that he feels Trudeau “is listening.”
But the $69 million recently pledged by Ottawa to improve mental health services on First Nations reserves won’t be enough to end the suicide crisis gripping Attawapiskat, Shisheesh predicted.
“If they send two mental health workers in our community, where are they going to house them? Because we have a housing crisis in Attawapiskat,” the chief said.
But he added that he’s glad to see at least some movement on the file.
“I’m happy that (Trudeau) is responding in that area, because we need mental health workers, we need those services not only in Attawapiskat but across the nation.”
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More than anything, Shisheesh said, he wants Trudeau to understand how people live in his remote community of 2,200 residents, which declared a state of emergency in April after a spike in suicide attempts. At one point, there were 11 in a single night.
“We’d like to prime minister to come to Attawapiskat as soon as possible, that way he can see what we’re going through,” Shisheesh explained.
Members of the community constantly ask him when they can expect to see Trudeau, he said.
“I believe that would spark a little bit of hope … I know that the government that we have now is listening, and I’m thankful for that.”
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