Suicide pact by 13 young aboriginal people, including nine-year-old.

[U2forever]

I hope these children get the attention that they are seeking.

I pray they do, before its too late.

 

[Gigi-G]

I hope they do too. It's like finding yr self down a deep slippery well. And you can't get yr footing. Reach out and help them. It's not hard to do. Listening to them and why they feel this way.
Then assure them they can get thru this.
Reassure positively.
#alllivesmatter

Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

 

[otto]

The problems on that particular reserve started with the chief, and her partner, making tens of millions of dollars vanish. Years of corruption from the top down is the problem.

"Attawapiskat’s financial troubles were also highlighted after Spence's public campaign to raise awareness about her reserve’s housing and health crisis.

The reserve has received $90 million in federal funding since 2005 and the federal government hired Deloitte to conduct an audit in 2011 to find out how that money was spent.

The audit revealed a "serious problem” in the reserve’s financial records, as only about 20 per cent of the transactions were properly documented."

August 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/08/27/theresa-spence-attawapiskat-election_n_3823012.html

"The former co-manager of Attawapiskat First Nation is facing fraud and theft charges, CBC News has learned.

Clayton Kennedy was co-manager of the northern Ontario band’s finances from July 2010 until the end of the summer of 2012. The charges date back to the time when he was in that position.

In his private life, Kennedy is also the partner of Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence."

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2014/04/07/clayton-kennedy-fraud-teresa-spence_n_5108508.html

 

[otto]

It's the same cyclical problem. The tribe wants money, they get money, they want no input on how the money is managed or spent, they are granted that autonomy, the money vanishes, and then ... they want more money. They also don't want anyone looking in on what is happening on the reserve.

"A Global News TV crew has been threatened with arrest and removed from Attawapiskat, the Northern Ontario aboriginal community that has been thrust into the national spotlight over its hunger striking chief and facing fresh criticisms over its auditing practices.

...

In a blog post on the Global site, Tryon describes the crew checking into their hotel, only to be met by Attawapsikat's Acting Chief Christine Kataquapit, who told them no members of the media were allowed in the community:

It wasn't 15 minutes after we arrived, as we were talking with the hotel employee about our plans while we were there, when a woman came walking down the hall. I came to learn it was Christine Kataquapit, the acting chief.
She looked at the hotel employee and said, "You're my witness."
We all kind of laughed, not really sure what she was talking about, but it sounded like a joke. Then she said, "No, I'm serious, I have to ask you to leave the community."

Tryon was told the media ban was on the orders of Chief Spence, given the day after an audit was leaked showing poor documentation of the band's finances."

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/01/08/attawapiskat-global-news_n_2436199.html

 

[dotr]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...t-nations-suicide-crisis-attawapiskat-history

In the case of Attawapiskat, the debate’s tone is one of cruel irony, given that the land is home to a diamond mine. “These people in Attawapiskat are watching the resources of their community, of their territory, of their traditional land, being taken away by corporations,” said Boyden. “They watch this happen as they live in third-world conditions.”

While some First Nations communities in Canada do tremendously well, others rank among the most traumatised people in the world, said Gabor Maté, a retired physician who specialises in addiction and childhood development. “Because of the chronicity of the trauma, there’s never any recovery period. So they’ve been traumatised now for hundreds of years.”

In Canada, 24-hour suicide prevention centres can be found across the country through the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14. In the UK, the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Hotlines in other countries can be found here.

 

[bluesneakers]

I hope these children get the attention that they are seeking.

I hope they get the help they need.

 

[otto]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/20...t-nations-suicide-crisis-attawapiskat-history

Let's look at the victims of WW1 and 2: people who lost everything, had nothing to eat, were persecuted, shot, gassed, victimized, and so much worse. How is it possible that those families can cope, but first nation cannot?

 

[Montjoy]

Let's look at the victims of WW1 and 2: people who lost everything, had nothing to eat, were persecuted, shot, gassed, victimized, and so much worse. How is it possible that those families can cope, but first nation cannot?

That's just not a valid comparison on so many levels that it would be a waste of time playing into what appears to be a fundamentally racist discussion.

 

[otto]

That's just not a valid comparison on so many levels that it would be a waste of time playing into what appears to be a fundamentally racist discussion.

I understand that first nation people in Canada want to be viewed as a unique group who suffered horribly under the Canadian settlers a century ago, but the Jewish people are another unique group who suffered horribly under the Germans a century ago. How each group has coped over the last few generations is drastically different.

Another example is a murderer who blames a bad childhood for committing murder. Obviously, we expect that adults take responsibility for their actions regardless of what happened during childhood. Regarding first nation people in Canada, the politically correct stance is that adults are not responsible for their actions, and that a poor childhood is an excuse for many unacceptable behaviours.

There comes a time when blame has to be set aside and people have to help themselves. In fact, some first nation peoples do help themselves and are thriving in the modern Canadian society. Numerous opportunities for education and advancement are available to all first nation people - they merely have to make an effort.

 

[sonjay]

I understand that first nation people in Canada want to be viewed as a unique group who suffered horribly under the Canadian settlers a century ago, but the Jewish people are another unique group who suffered horribly under the Germans a century ago. How each group has coped over the last few generations is drastically different.

Another example is a murderer who blames a bad childhood for committing murder. Obviously, we expect that adults take responsibility for their actions regardless of what happened during childhood. Regarding first nation people in Canada, the politically correct stance is that adults are not responsible for their actions, and that a poor childhood is an excuse for many unacceptable behaviours.

There comes a time when blame has to be set aside and people have to help themselves. In fact, some first nation peoples do help themselves and are thriving in the modern Canadian society. Numerous opportunities for education and advancement are available to all first nation people - they merely have to make an effort.

The article linked above said "While some First Nations communities in Canada do tremendously well, others rank among the most traumatised people in the world"

I'm very interested in what factors have made the difference between those communities that "do tremendously well" and those that are so traumatized. Is it the amount of gov't funding they receive? Level of self-government? Geographic location and natural resources? Do the successful ones have recreation centers & swimming pools? Were they exempted from the notorious residential school program? Do they have better tribal leaders? Better non-indigenous provincial leaders? Why are some of these communities doing so well while some are literally killing themselves?

 

[otto]

The article linked above said "While some First Nations communities in Canada do tremendously well, others rank among the most traumatised people in the world"

I'm very interested in what factors have made the difference between those communities that "do tremendously well" and those that are so traumatized. Is it the amount of gov't funding they receive? Level of self-government? Geographic location and natural resources? Do the successful ones have recreation centers & swimming pools? Were they exempted from the notorious residential school program? Do they have better tribal leaders? Better non-indigenous provincial leaders? Why are some of these communities doing so well while some are literally killing themselves?

I recently worked with a first nation woman who pulled herself out of a life of alcohol and self-abuse, became an educator, and has doors opening in every direction she turns. I suspect that health issues led to the change in lifestyle choice, but her life has completely transformed in the last few years and the sky is the limit - especially with the mandate to include first nation classes in all post-secondary institutions. She wanted to change, and to help her children and grandchildren. That's all it took.

 

[al66pine]

FWIW, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attawapiskat_First_Nation:

"There are over 2,800 members of Attawapiskat First Nation, but the local on-reserve population was 1,549 according to the 2011 census. More than a third of the members of the Attawapiskat First Nation who still live on their home reserve are under the age of 19 and three-quarters are under the age of 35 (2010-12-03).[SUP][16][/SUP]5% of the community, 101 people, have attempted suicide over the 7 months from September 2015 to April 2016.[SUP][17[/SUP][SUP]"


[/SUP]"2016 suicide crisis
A state of emergency was declared after eleven people attempted suicide on April 9, 2016.[SUP][34][/SUP] A document signed by Chief Bruce Shisheesh and eight councillors reflects that there were twenty-eight suicide attempts during March 2016.[SUP][34][/SUP][SUP][35][/SUP] More than one-hundred people attempted suicide between September 2015 and April 2016 and one person has died.[SUP][34][/SUP] Reasons cited for the many suicide attempts are: overcrowding with 14 to 15 people living in one home; bullying at school, residential schools, physical, sexual and drug abuse.[SUP][35][/SUP] Health Canada provide $340,860 for mental health and wellness programs and $9,750 for the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, which the reserve claims is inadequate and they are overwhelmed.[SUP][36][/SUP][SUP][37][/SUP] Local hospitals which are in already poor condition have also been overrun by the amount of suicide attempts and previously ill patients.[SUP][38] "[/SUP]

Lots more at link.

[SUP](sorry, cannot bring over ^ footnote links)[/SUP]

 

[Bohemian]

This news has reached Australia recently and broke my heart.

Something is very wrong when our First Nations' peoples; particularly the children, are feeling hopeless enough to take their own lives.

I did a little online research on Attawapiskat's recent history and I was horrified to hear of the environmental and cultural damage that has been occurring.

The final straw for me was learning DeBeers literally dumped ***** on the community. Has anyone started a 'Boycott DeBeers Diamonds' protest yet? That ought to be enough to prick their 'corporate social conscience' to help the peoples of Attawapiskat rather than add to their trauma.