Suicides continue to plague reserve

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The casualties in this northern community are mounting, as the people of Pikangikum battle a continuing wave of suicides without the powerful weapon of Native spirituality.

"None of that exists in this community,' said an exhausted Chief Gordon Peters. "The majority of people and Elders are hard-core Christians. I would like to see very much the traditional teaching and spirituality that was taught to our fathers by their fathers taught to our children."

Peters has been calling for a healing centre to be established in his beleaguered community, which has seen daily suicide attempts among its youths and five deaths since February, the most recent a 29-year-old male who hanged himself Aug. 4.

Teams of crisis intervention workers from neighboring communities have been called to Pikangikum, while resident constables and health care workers are on 24-hour-a-day alert, monitoring the 1,600-member community.

A rash of suicide attempts - 13 in 11 days - brought the community national media coverage in April, culminating with Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin pledging $3.78 million to upgrade the Ojibway community's sewer system to increase the standard of living there.

But the pledge isn't enough, says Peters.

"The issues placed with the minister at that time have yet to be discussed, issues of land use, housing or that a healing centre is urgently needed," he said.

The band's land base has shrunk to 9.5 square kilometres from 64 square km. Peters wants to exercise jurisdiction of their traditional territory, and be a part of the decision-making process affecting the harvesting of natural resources in the area. In terms of housing, Peters said 210 new units are being built with funds being available to retrofit approximately 130 houses. But many of those houses are dilapidated, housing three of more families, and there is an 80-family waiting list for new homes.

Peters called on Native communities to support the community by lobbying the government, both provincial and federal, on their behalf. And for open-hearted people to aid his community by teaching them traditional ways.

"We welcome any First Nation to come and teach us what we have lost, the doors are open to their help."

Approximately 60 per cent of Pikangikum is under the age of 20, and the tiny reserve has the highest birth rate in Northern Ontario. Traditional lifestyles demanding time and knowledge of the land have been lost with development of the reserve's traditional territories, Peters said.

Council member Joe Suggashie has felt the devastation first-hand. Earlier this year his 13-year-old daughter survived a suicide attempt after overdosing on presciption drugs. After family counselling, he feels they have resolved the problem and is since on the alert for signs of depression among any of his five children. Keeping in touch with the community youth boils down to a one-on-one situation, Suggashie believes.

"It's individuals that have to work with kids. If I had my daughter to look like that again, we would do something right away. I think it worked out for us when we talked as a family. We don't do much parenting here, it's a problem."

"We have to get our own community to get started moving, to talk to our own people openly."

The regional mental health consultant with Health Canada, Frank McNaulty, agrees the resident sof Pikangikum must be the ones to decide how to help themselves.

"The process that has to help communities heal inevitably takes time. We're on two modes - the emergency response mode and the healing mode," said McNaulty. "We're best at the first, and the community is best at the second."

Currently Health Canada has funded a full-time, one-year position for a community crisis co-ordinator in Pikangikum for $72,000. But it has remained open since June.

"I could find 10 people in Toronto fill the job, but they wouldn't speak the language or be culturally sensitive. And that would not do the community much good," he said.