Causes of northern youth suicide detailed in report
The report, Shhh…Listen!! We Have Something To Say!, was published by the office of the Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth. It was tabled in Saskatchewan Legislature on Dec. 5.
“I see a couple of youth post on Facebook that they want to kill themselves. But people tell them to quit looking for attention,” said one young person quoted in the report.
“So many kids suffer in silence and post on social media and others take it as ‘they want attention’ when really it’s a cry for help. Youth that post about their problems wanna be heard and our community often ignores their cry for help.”
An investigation into northern suicide was launched last year after six First Nations girls died by suicide in quick succession last October.
The report makes two major suggestions for solving youth suicide in the north; solving inequalities faced by northern and Indigenous kids and youth, and further cooperation and communication on the issue between provincial and local government.
Mentioned as a key building block in the report is Jordan’s Principle, a set of guidelines meant to aid First Nations children both on and off reserve and ensure they have equal access to government services. The principle has roots in northern Manitoba, named after Jordan River Anderson, a boy from Norway House Cree Nation.
Anderson, who suffered from a rare muscular disorder, was unable to receive adequate care in Norway House. Both federal and provincial governments could not decide who was responsible for his care. Jordan, who was five years old, passed away in 2005 without the situation being fully resolved.
“[The Advocate calls for] the Government of Canada put an end to the inequities faced by Indigenous children and youth in Saskatchewan by fully implementing Jordan’s Principle,” reads the report.
According to a 2010 Health Canada report, First Nations females ages 15 to 24 are more than seven times more likely to die by suicide than non-First Nations females in the same age range. First Nations males in that same age group are five times more likely to die by suicide than their non-First Nations counterparts.
“It’s not a phase or for attention. It’s how we feel. It’s hard on a depressed/suicidal person to get up and face the day. Telling us to just walk it off is like breaking our legs and saying that. Everything we do is a struggle,” said one of the interviewees quoted in the report.
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