The Green Timberwolf

First Nation Suicide Rates    

By:Meg

First nation youth suicide rates are five to seven times higher than non-aboriginal youth.

Stastna, K. (2014, April 12). Shacks and slop pails: Infrastructure crisis on native reserves. Retrieved from  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/shacks-and-slop-pails-infrastructure-crisis-on-native-reserves-1.1004957

Suicide rates are much higher for aboriginals than non-aboriginals in Canada. This has a lot to do with their poor living conditions, little to no resources, lack of food transportation, and little education. With many first nations still living on reserves they do not have the same utilities that we do. They have very poor living conditions to a point where there is multiple families living in a small shack that is not properly insulated and constantly floods.

Since reserves are usually isolated from most communities food transportation is a major issue. Food has to either be flown into them or trucked for miles which makes the cost of food much higher for them even though most of them are already in poverty.

Before anything else, First Nations in Canada require economic empowerment. (2016, October 11). Retrieved from https://www.fraserinstitute.org/blogs/before-anything-else-first-nations-in-canada-require-economic-empowerment

When living on reserves there are little to no resources. This being said you do see multiple families living together, houses falling apart and schools rotting and flooding. They don’t have resources to fix or build new ones.

Clibbon, J. (2012, December 20). Plight of Pikangikum native reserve spurs Toronto relief effort. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/plight-of-pikangikum-native-reserve-spurs-toronto-relief-effort-1.1190291

Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scdsb.on.ca/Schools/Pages/SchoolDetails.aspx?SchoolId=52

We live in a community with a brand new school that welcomes us every day. None of these children living on reserves have that in their community because of the little amount of resources they have. They don’t have the money to fix the school so it doesn’t flood and they don’t have the money to make it safe and welcoming for children so most drop out of school.These First Nation children are most likely to end up in jail then to graduate high school. But for us living outside of the reserves it is the complete opposite.

References

BLOG: Before anything else, First Nations in Canada require economic empowerment. (2016, October 11). Retrieved from https://www.fraserinstitute.org/blogs/before-anything-else-first-nations-in-canada-require-economic-empowerment      (kids walking)

Clibbon, J. (2012, December 20). Plight of Pikangikum native reserve spurs Toronto relief effort. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/plight-of-pikangikum-native-reserve-spurs-toronto-relief-effort-1.1190291  (spray painted building)

Schools. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.scdsb.on.ca/Schools/Pages/SchoolDetails.aspx?SchoolId=52  (Our School)

Stastna, K. (2014, April 12). Shacks and slop pails: Infrastructure crisis on native reserves. Retrieved from  http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/shacks-and-slop-pails-infrastructure-crisis-on-native-reserves-1.1004957 (family sleeping together)