A ten year old girl on the Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation committed suicide on Thursday, the third suicide in recent weeks. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and the province are sending condolences to the community which has declared a state of emergency after a rash of suicides and attempts. There have been seven suicides since 2016 and six were youth.

MSFN Chief Ronald Mitsuing says community members, professionals and those with ties to the community are in despair. They are looking for immediate relief and are calling on local provincial and federal government support. Meadow Lake Tribal Chief Richard Ben says, “one suicide is too many and our youth are screaming for help”. The Tribal Council is offering full support services to the community of Makwa Sahgaiehcan.

A statement from the province says the Minister of Rural and Remote Health has been in contact with community leaders to find out what supports are needed. The Saskatchewan Health Authority, the Ministry of Social Services and the Ministry of Education have also reached out to assess what supports the community needs.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says their Suicide Prevention Strategy was created to save the lives of our people and it needs to be implemented immediately. He calls on all levels of government to ensure that it is.