Question Period Note: Suicide Crisis

Preventing suicide is a key priority for Indigenous leaders,
organizations, and communities. This is a priority we share.
• We remain committed to supporting Indigenous-led approaches
to suicide prevention and life promotion.
• Budget 2021 provides $597.6 million over three years while
Budget 2022 provides $227.6M over two years for distinctionsbased
approaches to meet community needs and priorities. This
includes funding to enhance and expand suicide prevention and
life promotion activities.

Indigenous Peoples in Canada are at a greater risk of experiencing complex mental health and substance
use issues due to a variety of factors, including the intergenerational effects of residential schools and
other consequences of colonization. Suicide is a significant concern in some communities, particularly in
the North and in remote areas. States of emergency have been declared in several communities due to
mental health and social crises.
Suicide prevention has been a longstanding priority for Indigenous communities in Canada. Suicide rates
among Indigenous youth are among the highest in the world although there are substantial variations
across communities. The Government of Canada recognizes that the root causes of Indigenous suicide
are complex, with links to individual, family and community wellness; the legacy of colonization; and the
social determinants of health impacting Indigenous Peoples and communities, such as self-determination,
cultural continuity, housing, employment and income in communities.
Indigenous Services Canada works closely with national, regional and community Indigenous partners
and is guided by key documents developed by Indigenous partners, namely the First Nations Mental
Wellness Continuum Framework, Honouring Our Strengths and the National Inuit Suicide Prevention
Strategy.
To address the high rates of suicide that are happening in some Indigenous communities, the
Government of Canada is supporting a variety of initiatives specific to life promotion and suicide
prevention including the Hope for Wellness Helpline, the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy, the
National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, and the Youth Hope Fund. The Hope for Wellness
Helpline provides immediate, culturally safe, crisis intervention support for First Nations, Inuit and Métis,
24 hours a day, seven days a week by phone; 1-855-242-3310 or the online chat at hopeforwellness.ca,
in English and French, and upon request in Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut.
These initiatives include investments in life promotion, including funding for Indigenous youth-led life
promotion projects under the Youth Hope Fund and for key partners such as We Matter, Thunderbird
Partnership Foundation, and Feather Carriers.
Through Budget 2019, the Government of Canada committed $47.5 million over 5 years to support the
design and construction of the Nunavut Recovery Centre and $9.7 million ongoing in support of treatment
centre operations. Funding is flowing through a multi-year contribution agreement with the Government of
Nunavut. The Government of Nunavut has indicated that inflation and the rising costs of construction
over the last few years has resulted in a higher projected cost for the completion of the construction of the
recovery centre. Indigenous Services Canada is working closely with the Government of Nunavut and
Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated through the Nunavut Partnership Table on Health to determine how best
to address these cost pressures. The Government of Canada remains committed to the construction and
operation of the Nunavut Recovery Centre, supporting Inuit in defining and taking action on their health
priorities, and promoting culturally safe healing and treatment opportunities based in Inuit traditions which
are informed by strong partnerships at the community and territorial levels.
Indigenous Services Canada has provided Dene Nation with $341,700 (2022-2024) to develop a
feasibility study and business plan for a Trauma Healing Lodge for K’atl’odeeche First Nation. Dene
Nation is working in partnership with Dene Wellness Warriors and K’atl’odeeche First Nation, and has
obtained support letters from several Indigenous governments.
Since 2020-2021, Indigenous Services Canada has provided $6.5 million to the Council of Yukon First
Nations to help coordinate emergency access to alternate treatment options, including to private
treatment centres outside of the territory. ISC continues to work closely with Yukon First Nations and the
Yukon Government to improve access to culturally safe treatment for Yukon First Nations, including
support for a business case for a First Nations-led Yukon based treatment program and facility.
We Matter is an Indigenous youth-led organization dedicated to Indigenous youth support, hope and life
promotion. It supports Indigenous youth through mentorship for youth leaders, funding for youth-led
projects, effective social media campaigns and toolkits to support youth in overcoming challenging
situations. The positive impact of their programs has supported Indigenous youth across Canada. For
example, toolkits have been distributed to communities in every province and territory, including to
communities in crisis.
Thunderbird Partnership Foundation is also leading around work on life promotion, including by
addressing the role of the social determinants of health and developing a life promotion tool kit.
Feather Carriers: Leadership for Life Promotion is a community mobilization and collaborative approach
that develops community leaders to promote life and prevent suicide in communities. Its vision is based
The Government of Canada has made significant recent investments to improve mental wellness in
Indigenous communities, with an approximate annual investment of $650 million in 2022-23. These
investments are flexible to meet the immediate mental wellness needs of communities by supporting
Indigenous-led, culturally-relevant community-based mental wellness promotion, on-the-land initiatives,
suicide prevention, life promotion, crisis response, and substance use treatment and prevention services
in Indigenous communities. This funding also supports the provision of essential mental health, cultural,
and emotional support to former Indian Residential Schools and federal Day Schools students and their
families as well as those affected by the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
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on a relationship to the land, supports Indigenous communities looking for resources on suicide
prevention, speaks to the heart and minds of people working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit at risk of
premature death and supports loss survivors. Feather Carriers brings knowledge and experience from the
whole community into practice, building on the values and belief that in this present time, life is worth
living. The training engages participants in a paradigm shift from suicide prevention to life promotion and
supports reflection and growth as part of the journey towards mino bimaadisiwin (living a good life).
We also recognize the importance of reducing risk factors and strengthening protective factors for suicide
prevention by working closely with Indigenous partners to address the impacts of the social determinants
of health and other factors. For example, there is ongoing support for a network of 45 substance use
treatment centers as well as community based prevention services in the majority of First Nations and
Inuit communities across Canada) to address mental health issues arising from problematic substance
use.
Budget 2021 announced $597.6M over three years for a distinctions-based mental wellness approach for
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. This includes renewed funding to continue essential services such as crisis
lines and mental health, cultural, and emotional support to former Indian Residential Schools and federal
Day Schools students and their families as well as those affected by the issue of Missing and Murdered
Indigenous Women and Girls.
Budget 2022 provides $227.6 million over two years, beginning in 2022-23, to maintain trauma-informed,
Indigenous-led, culturally-appropriate services to improve mental wellness, and to support efforts initiated
in Budget 2021.
Recent investments specific to suicide prevention include $50M over 10 years with $5M on-going through
Budget 2019 with $11M over two years through Budget 2022 to support the implementation of the
National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy and $2.5M over two years announced in December 2019 to
support the implementation of the Saskatchewan First Nations Suicide Prevention Strategy.
Background: Fort Chipewyan – Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN) and Athabasca Chipewyan First
Nation (ACFN)
The community of Fort Chipewyan, a hamlet home to three Indigenous communities, is roughly 250km
downstream of the Athabasca Oilsands Region, an area of intense industrial development. The
community lacks year-round road access to the nearest service centre, which is between 240 and 320
kilometres away.
The Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN) is comprised of nine reserves and has a total registered
population of 3,191 members, 600 of whom reside in Fort Chipewyan. The Athabasca Chipewyan First
Nation (ACFN) is comprised of eight reserves and a total registered population of 1,312 members. Onethird
(400) of their registered population live in Fort Chipewyan.
Mikisew Cree First Nation and Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation are members of the Athabasca Tribal
Council (ATC).
The First Nations are experiencing a number of challenges, including:
• Significant mental health challenges including a number of recent suicides and suicide attempts
as well as drug poisonings.
• The ongoing impacts from the Kearl oilsands spill, including concerns about the safety of the
water.
• Potential health impacts of living downstream from the Alberta oilsands and reportedly “higher
than expected” instances of bile duct cancer, according to some studies.ISC Alberta’s Regional
Executive Officer committed to supporting Athabasca Tribal Council in developing and enabling
an Action Plan in response to this crisis. ISC Alberta Region’s Mental Wellness team has been
working diligently to connect with each of the ATC Health Departments to identify and respond to
immediate crisis needs, including deploying the regional Mental Wellness – Crisis Response
Team (MWCRT) Consultant to Fort Chipewyan, AB. ISC Alberta Region is meeting with senior
officials from Alberta Health Services North Zone – Addictions & Mental Health to address any
identified service gaps.

If pressed on actions taken:
We continue to invest in Indigenous-led approaches to mental
wellness, with an annual investment of approximately $650
million.
• This includes funding announced in Budgets 2021 and 2022 for
distinctions-based mental wellness approaches for First
Nations, Inuit, and Métis.
• We know that the root causes of suicide in Indigenous
communities are complex; linked to the impacts of
intergenerational trauma, present day racism and discrimination,
as well as social inequities.
• We also recognize the importance of life promotion efforts,
including through support for Indigenous youth-led life
promotion projects and for Indigenous organizations such as
We Matter, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation and Feather
Carriers.

If pressed on ISC support for treatment centers in the Territories
• ISC recognizes the value of Indigenous healing practices as an
important element in the provision of culturally-relevant health
services.
• In 2019-20, ISC committed $47.5 million over five years to
support the construction of the Nunavut Recovery Centre and
$9.7 million in ongoing operations’ funding.
• In 2021-22 and 2022-23 ISC provided Northwest Territories’ Dene
Nation a total of $341,700 for a feasibility study and business
plan for a Trauma Healing Lodge on the K’atl’odeeche Reserve.
• ISC is working with Yukon First Nations and Yukon Government
to improve access to culturally safe treatment, including support
for a new business case for a First Nations-led Yukon-based
treatment program and facility.

If pressed on Fort Chipewyan Mental Health Crisis
• We are deeply concerned by the mental health crises in Fort
Chipewyan impacting Mikisew Cree First Nation and Athabasca
Chipewyan First Nation.
• Indigenous Services Canada is in regular contact with community
leadership and administrators and will continue to work with the
Nations, the Nunee Health Board, Athabasca Tribal Council, the
Government of Alberta, and all partners involved to support the
Nanew tions as they work to address the situation.

If pressed on Supports to Fort Chipewyan communities
• Our government is aware of the situation in Fort Chipewyan and
is working with the First Nations, Nunee Health Board,
Athabasca Tribal Council and Alberta Health Services to identify
potential courses of action.
• Intergenerational trauma experienced by First Nations Peoples
as a result of colonization and disparities in social determinants
of health are linked to higher rates of substance use, suicide,
and violence.
• Indigenous Services Canada recognizes the need to support the
strength and resilience of Indigenous individuals, families and
communities to combat this issue.

If pressed on COVID-19 and mental wellness:
• We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has had profound
impacts on mental wellness in many Indigenous communities.
This includes magnifying existing inequities and creating new
gaps and needs.
• Recent investments made by the Government of Canada are
supporting Indigenous communities in meeting their mental
wellness priorities, including addressing the impacts of the
pandemic, confirmation of unmarked burials at sites of former
Indian Residential Schools, and a growing opioid crisis.

If pressed on supports in Nunavut
• We are working in close partnership with the Government of
Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated to respond to the
mental wellness needs of Inuit in the territory.
• Through this partnership, starting in 2017-18, we are
contributing $247.7 million over 10 years through the Nunavut
Wellness Agreement for community wellness initiatives.
• In 2022-23, $26 million in funding was allocated to the
Government of Nunavut and community organizations for
mental wellness teams and other mental wellness services.