Georgina Jolibois speaking at a press event in Saskatoon Friday morning. Photo by Joel Willick.
The federal NDP is calling on the Trudeau government to invest more in Indigenous mental health across Canada.
Today, federal NDP Indigenous Affairs Critic Charlie Angus and Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River MP Georgina Jolibois spoke in Saskatoon in response to four young girls who committed suicide in northern Saskatchewan this month.
“We need to end the band-aid approach and turn our culture of deniability into a culture of accountability that puts kids first,” says Charlie Angus.
NDP Indigenous Affairs Deputy Critic Georgina Jolibois drew on her experience as mayor of La Loche, saying the issues facing these young girls have been prevalent in the north for a long-time.
“So, when I speak to this, I speak with a heavy heart because it breaks my heart,” says Jolibois. “How many families are we going to lose before all levels of government come forward to help our communities, First Nations, Metis and northern?”
The NDP says the Liberal Government is actually spending less on Indigenous mental health than the Conservatives did. They say the commitments made so far to address the situation have not been good enough,
For Jolibois, the solution lies not in telling these communities what to do, but rather supporting them in their own initiatives. She spoke on the leadership of LLRIB Chief Tammy Cook-Searson and PBCN Chief Peter A. Beatty.
“We need to use the leadership that is already in these communities,” says Jolibois. “We need to provide support systems that will serve them long-term.”
She says a revitalization of traditional language and culture is vital.
“We have been saying, the FSIN have been saying, the Metis nations have been saying, there is a need for culturally relevant service providers.”
Angus agrees the power needs to be taken from the federal government and placed in the hands of First Nations.
“We can’t allow Ottawa to make these decisions for First Nation communities,” he says.
The request of more help for Indigenous mental health is being supported by the FSIN who joined Jolibois and Angus.
Vice-Chief Robert Merasty, who holds the FSIN’s health portfolio, says this goes beyond politics.
“Our young people are suffering,” he says. “This lack of investment is a result of politics, let’s put those politics aside. Regardless of what political party, we need to have investments in these communities now.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke on the situation earlier this week calling it a tragedy and saying his government is working on it.