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| Great White North |
| Canada's Indigenous call for national suicide strategy |
| 2017-01-20 |
| [Al Jazeera] Indigenous leaders in Canada are calling for a national strategy to combat a suicide crisis in their communities, after two 12-year-old girls did away with himself earlier this month. Wapekeka First Nation in northern Ontario is "in a state of shock, grief, and crisis" after Jolynn Winter and Chantel Fox, both 12, died after committing suicide on Jan. 8 and 10, respectively. Local leaders say they discovered that several youth in the fly-in, Oji-Cree community had entered into a "suicide pact" last year. But they say the federal government turned down their request for additional health funding to prevent the suicides. "Our community plan was turned down by government and now two are dead," said Joshua Frogg, a spokesperson for the community, in a statement on Wednesday. Located in northwestern Ontario, about 600 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Wapekeka First Nation is home to about 430 residents. "I can't believe I had to bury my daughter. It was so hard to say goodbye," said Sandra Fox, Chantel’s mother. "I honestly didn't think I could survive losing Chantel." Since the girls' deaths, four other local children were flown out of the community ‐ it is not accessible by road ‐ to be placed on 24-hour suicide watch, while 24 others have been identified as high risk for suicide. "Every community member is deeply affected. These children could be alive today and their deaths preventable," Frogg said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 Onset of puberty 'Slender man' social phenomena High fat high protein low carb malnutrition No prospects in a fast moving world Overwhelming alcoholism Long hours of darkness Amazing anyone is left alive. |
| Posted by: Skidmark 2017-01-20 23:28 |
| #6 I thought progressivism was a national suicide strategy. |
| Posted by: whitecollar redneck 2017-01-20 17:31 |
| #5 It takes parental involvement not government money. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2017-01-20 12:11 |
| #4 "after two 12-year-old girls did away with himself" Uhmm I think I see the problem... |
| Posted by: Seeking cure for ignorance 2017-01-20 10:48 |
| #3 Somehow, I don't feel much compassion - guess it's my training as evolutionary biologist. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-01-20 02:38 |
| #2 Thought this was about Canada's current immigration policy. |
| Posted by: Dino White9248 2017-01-20 01:01 |
| #1 Frogg? I'd change that name. |
| Posted by: gorb 2017-01-20 00:15 |