A youth participates in a group activity at the Ignite the Life Conference. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski.
More than 650 people, mostly northern youths between Grade 5 and 12, have taken over the Saskatoon Inn this week as the Ignite the Life Suicide Prevention Rally gets underway.
Some have traveled a long way, from Aboriginal communities like Pelican Narrows and La Loche.
The two-day event is attempting to “ignite the life” during a difficult time for many, especially the north where areas like Black Lake have seen a recent influx in suicide attempts.
Treena Wynes is the director of Agency Tribal Chiefs Indian Child and Family Services, and is one of three women who organized the rally in response to the deaths of six Indigenous girls last fall.
The organizers accepted about 500 northern youth to attend before closing online registration, but the requests kept pouring in by phone and e-mail. Wynes heard from parents whose children have attempted suicide and from people working with high-risk youth.
“We just heard so many stories, and it was so hard to deny them that we were like ‘okay, okay,’ and you squeak in a little bit here, a little there,” registering an extra 90 or so people, Wynes said.
Even on Thursday morning, organizers invited in walk-ins who drove “hours and hours” to be there.
Keynote Speaker Joseph Naytowhow spoke to a full house, relying on humour and the Cree language to keep their attention. He also took a moment to speak about the serious issue that brought everyone there.
“This is a very difficult topic you have, but we are strong people. I’ve never known Cree culture to have suicide as a part of its culture, nor any other culture,” he said.
“(People) get lost in between this world and that world and they want to go to that door where the light is on, and they want to go across that but for some reason they need our help. And those ones that go across, suddenly, tragically they try to bring others with them. So what we do is we light a candle for them or make a fire.”
In opening remarks, Lac la Ronge Chief Tammy Cook-Searson stood at the mic sharing a message from the mother of a young girl who committed suicide in the fall. The mother asked not to be named.
“Pay more attention to your child, children. Listen to them when they need to talk, they have problems that may seem small to us but a big issue to them. We have to remember we were young once too and we had problems we felt nobody understood. Less time on electronics and more person to person communication,” the message read.
Also, Children Advocate Corey O’Soup told the young people about how he can help them.
“What our role is to make sure you’re safe and protected and that all government agencies – so whether that’s education, health, social services, justice, corrections – we’re there to ensure that they’re treating you properly,” he said.
“If you feel like you’re in danger, you can call our office at any time and we will investigate.”
He added that they don’t reject any calls.
He’s currently preparing a report for the province on what he calls the northern suicide “crisis,” and says this report will reach as far as the prime minister.
O’Soup told the audience that his office’s job now is to get youth recommendations.
“I don’t care if we don’t talk to another adult in the next three months. We have to talk to youth. And youth like you are going to be the ones that are going to be giving us solutions,” he said.
The rally continues on Friday wrapping up with participants planning to make a “life pact.”