Call for action after report reveals unnatural death rates in some First Nations three times higher than Ontario average

As Patricia Keesickquayash looks out over the hillside of her First Nation cemetery, which was expanded in the 1990s, she wonders how the burial grounds filled up so quickly.

The unnatural death rate among First Nations in the Sioux Lookout area of ​​northwestern Ontario is more than three times the provincial average.

“This is the reality for us,” said Keesickquayash, public health director for the Mishkeegogamang Ojibway First Nation, about 500 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay.

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority (SLFNHA) provides services to 33 First Nations, most of which are remote. The report, “Mental Health and Substance Use,” which released this weekcontains data from 2011 to 2021 on how communities are disproportionately affected by mental illness and addictions.

The report begins with personal accounts, including Keesickquayash’s story. It is the first time she has spoken publicly about her experiences with addiction and trauma.

“My whole childhood… there was silence. We couldn’t talk about it and no one would listen.”

Over the past year, First Nations leaders have stepped up their efforts to advocate for better health care:

SLFNHA and regional leaders are calling on provincial and federal governments to support First Nations in providing better mental health and addiction services within their communities.

“The communities know exactly what they want to do and how they want to address the problem, so they need resources — resources that are sustainable, long-term funding to address the problems,” said Dr. Lloyd Douglas, a public health physician at SLFNHA.

“We need to see more community-level workers and all agencies working together so the vision of this model can be achieved.”

‘I am starting the healing cycle with our family’

Keesickquayash was eight years old when she first got high on solvents. She experienced physical and sexual abuse in her childhood, and domestic violence in her early adulthood. She relied on alcohol to cope.

But once she learned about the legacy of boarding schools — her father was forced to attend — she began to understand the trauma that had caused tragedies across generations of her family, she explained.

“As part of my tribute to my father… I will begin the healing cycle with our family,” she said.

Keesickquayash is now well on her way to recovery and hopes her story will inspire others to share their experiences and make a difference for First Nations.

A portrait photo of a person wearing a blue collar.
Janet Gordon, SLFNHA’s director of operations, says it’s important to remember that every statistic in the organization’s mental health and substance abuse report represents a family. (Submitted by SLFNA)

According to the SLFNHA report, mental health and substance abuse were the fourth most common reason for nurse visits in SLFNHA communities between 2015 and 2021.

In 2021:

  • The number of emergency department visits due to intentional self-harm and injury was 16 times higher than the provincial rate.
  • The number of emergency room visits due to mental health problems and substance abuse was 14 times higher than the provincial rate.
  • Hospital admissions for mental health problems and substance abuse were six times higher than the provincial rate.

“We’ve struggled to get enough information about the communities we work with,” said Janet Gordon, SLFNHA’s chief operating officer. “This just reinforces that the picture is much worse than what we hear on a daily basis.”

Federal government responds to report

CBC News reached out to the office of Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu and received an email statement from her spokesperson.

“The SLFNHA does critical work for communities and we will always be here to support their efforts,” wrote Jennifer Kozelj. “We also support access to mental wellness services for First Nations in Northern Ontario. Through NAN Choose Life, more than half a billion dollars will be used to support First Nations-led mental wellness initiatives so that every child has a fair chance to succeed.”

A person wearing a white shirt and a beige vest stands outside a building.
Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu, seen outside her office in Thunder Bay, Ontario. (Marc Doucette/CBC)

Kozelj said Hajdu recently visited Mishkeegogamang and heard directly from community members about how they support youth.

“There is still much to be done to ensure that First Nations youth receive the same level of service as other Canadians. We are eager to hear from our partners on how we can improve our practices to achieve this goal.”

“Ultimately, First Nations know best what they need, so we want to support a more self-determined approach,” Kozelj said. “We are more than open to starting discussions about long-term, stable funding. We will follow First Nations’ lead and support their priorities as they see fit.”

Earlier this year, Ontario announced $2.6 million to support mental health and addiction care supplied by NAN.

Benefits of land-based treatment

Cat Lake First Nation Chief Russell Wesley lost his wife to medical addiction issues. Since his election as chief in 2020, he said, there have been 37 unnatural deaths in his community.

He said since the SLFNHA report was released, there have been three overdoses and five suicides in Cat Lake, which is about 440 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay on the Albany River.

More than a decade ago, the community was experiencing a crisis of solvent abuse. treated with land-based programmingwhich, according to Wesley, no longer exists.

A person with long dark hair and a red checked shirt stands in a room with a neutral facial expression.
According to Cat Lake First Nation Chief Russell Wesley, land-based treatment is an effective approach to mental health and addiction issues. (Sarah Law/CBC)

“The land-based components reconnect individuals to their spirituality and their personal relationship with their Creator,” he said. “The clinical treatment doesn’t have that component.”

Wesley is seeking funding and policy guidance to support the return of land-based treatment. Tentatively, a treatment center is expected to be ready in August or September, and a language program is planned for the fall.

At the regional level, SLFNHA scores a win through a new partnership with Eagle Lake First Nation and the Kenora District Services Board to build a regional healing lodge in the First Nation.

The healing lodge will provide mental health services to the SLFNHA communities, including Cat Lake, with a focus on drug and alcohol treatment.

Training of community members

Keesickquayash says she has already been approached by several people who have complimented her for sharing her personal experiences with addiction.

She believes that solutions need to come from the community itself. She has seen too many people give up on seeing a psychologist because they have trouble connecting with the people who work at the First Nation.

“If we trained our frontline workers on community addictions, on grief and trauma counseling… we would have more permanent people in the community who [patients] “We have built a relationship with them,” Keesickquayash said.

Mishkeegogamang has a nursing station and offers NAN’s Choose Life Programbut she also wants a treatment center, a detox clinic and a space where people can share their experiences without judgment.

When it comes to healing trauma, “they say it takes seven generations,” Keesickquayash said. “I start with myself and my family.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with this, here’s where you can get help:

Kenora & Northwestern Ontario Sources:

Sources for all of Canada:

This guide of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health describes how to talk to someone about suicide you are concerned about.

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