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.
• Since 2021, $825M of funding, over three years, has been
invested into distinctions-based mental wellness initiatives,
including those that enhance and expand suicide prevention and
life promotion activities to meet community needs and priorities.

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, Honoring Our Strengths, the National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy,
and We Matter’s Pathfinding Towards a Flourishing Future: Awareness and Advocacy Guide.
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.
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 have 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.
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 Nationsled
Yukon based treatment program and facility.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many federally funded residential treatment centres in B.C. closed or
reduced in-patient services, which caused significant challenges to accessing residential treatment for
Yukon First Nations. Since then, ISC has provided $7.3 million to the Council of Yukon First Nations to
coordinate emergency access to alternate treatment options, including private treatment facilities, for
Yukon First Nations.
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.
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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.

If pressed on investments and actions taken
• We are committed to investing in Indigenous-led mental
wellness initiatives, with an annual investment of approximately
$650 million.
• This includes funding announced in Budgets 2021 and 2022 for
distinctions-based mental wellness initiatives for First Nations,
Inuit, and Métis.
• The root causes of suicide are complex; linked to the impacts of
intergenerational trauma, racism and discrimination, as well as
inequities relating to the social determinants of health.
• We recognize the life-saving effects of prevention and promotion
efforts, and that is why we support Indigenous youth-led
programs and partner with Indigenous organizations such as We
Matter, Thunderbird Partnership Foundation and Feather
Carriers to support the delivery of life promotion initiatives.

If pressed on examples of Indigenous-led projects supported by
ISC
• Indigenous Services Canada is committed to supporting
Indigenous-led initiatives to advance suicide prevention and life
promotion efforts. Significant investments were made to
improve mental wellness in Indigenous communities.
• These investments are flexible and diverse to meet the varying
mental wellness needs of communities.
• Our investments can support Indigenous-led, culturally relevant,
community-based mental wellness initiatives, for: suicide
prevention, life promotion, on-the-land initiatives, crisis
response, and substance use treatment and prevention services.
• This funding also supports the provision of essential cultural,
emotional and mental health supports to Survivors, including
families of former students, of Indian Residential Schools and
Federal Indian Day Schools , as well as those affected by the
issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and
2SLGBTQI+ people.

If pressed on investments specifically for life promotion initiatives
• Indigenous Services Canada is committed to supporting
Indigenous-led initiatives to advance life promotion efforts ,
including through the Youth Hope Fund.
• The Youth Hope Fund sees $3.4M in investments annually to
First Nations and Inuit youth-led projects that support life
promotion.
• Examples of Indigenous-led life promotion projects that we
support include:
o We Matter, an Indigenous youth-led organization that
provides mentorship and funding for youth-led projects
o Thunderbird Partnership Foundation, leading work on life
promotion, including by addressing the role of the social
determinants of health and developing a life promotion tool
kit.
o Feather Carriers: Leadership for Life Promotion, a
community mobilization and collaborative approach that
develops community leaders to promote life and prevent
suicide.

If pressed on Indigenous-led investments specifically for crisis
prevention, planning, response and recovery
• Indigenous Services Canada is committed to supporting
Indigenous-led initiatives to advance suicide prevention efforts,
through investments in crisis prevention, planning, response
and recovery.
• Examples of Indigenous-led and community-driven initiatives
that support crisis response and recovery include:
o Indigenous Services Canada supports 75 crisis response
and recovery teams which support 385 communities
across Canada.
o The Hope for Wellness Helpline supports Indigenous
people across Canada 24/7 with culturally competent
counsellors, and has responded to almost 175,000 calls
and on-line chats since its launch in 2016.
o We Matter is an Indigenous youth-led organization that
supports Indigenous youth in overcoming challenging
situations, including for crisis response and recovery.
If pressed on ISC supports in the Territories, including for
treatment and recovery centres
• In 2022-23, ISC provided $56 million to support mental health
programming and services in all 72 First Nations and Inuit
communities in the three territories.
• ISCrecognizes the importance of culturally-appropriate and
relevant treatment and recovery services.
o $47.5 million was committed over five years to support the
construction of Aqqusariaq, formerly known as the
Nunavut Recovery Centre, with $9.7 million in ongoing
operations’ funding. Construction began in summer 2023.
o Northwest Territories’ Dene Nation was provided with
$341,700 for the development of a feasibility study and
business plan for a Trauma Healing Lodge on the
K’atl’odeeche Reserve.
o The Council of Yukon First Nations was provided with
support in developing a business case for a Yukon-based
treatment facility and provided with interim funding for
Yukon First Nations to access private treatment centres.