Nickel Belt News Volume 61 • Issue 21
Friday, May 28, 2021
Thompson, Manitoba
Serving the Norman Region since 1961
State of emergency declared in Shamattawa after suicide death May 9 and suicide attempt by a child a week later
BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
Remote Shamattawa First Nation in northeastern Manitoba declared a state of emergency May 18 after one suicide and one attempt by a child who is currently in hospital within less than 10 days. A single mother of four died by suicide on May 9, said Chief Eric Redhead, and on Monday night a 7-year-old child attempted suicide and is currently unresponsive in hospital in Winnipeg. Redhead said during an online press conference regarding the emergency declaration that the woman who died was his sister and only sibling. “The concerning thing is when we have one we often see a copycat or domino effect and we’re concerned about that,” the chief said. Keewatin Tribal Council’s mobile crisis team was arriving in the fly-in community May 18 and the Manitoba Kewwatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) crisis team was expected to arrive in the next day or two but Redhead said
Shamattawa First Nation Chief Eric Redhead speaks on Zoom May 18 about declaring a state of emergency after one recent suicide and one suicide attempt by a child in the remote northeastern Manitoba community. he has appealed to Health Canada for additional supports including child and adolescent mental health therapists. “That’s my main concern right now is the children of the community,” he said. As of May 18, Redhead said he hadn’t heard anything of substance from the
federal government. “The response that I’ve received so far is typical response of the federal government,” said Redhead. “It’s fluff. ‘We’re here for you,’ that kind of stuff. I’m not satisfied until I see results.” Part of the reason the community needs addition-
al help is because health staff have recently dealt with multiple natural deaths in the community, where one burial was happening May 18 and the bodies of two more community members were expected to arrive the following day. “That overlapping grief for our service providers
overall, it’s just overwhelming,” said Redhead. MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said the situation in the community is critical. “It is very troubling when I hear of a 7-year-old attempting to take their life,” said Settee. “If that doesn’t shake anybody up, I don’t know what will. Everything
at our disposal must be given to this First Nation." Assembly of Manitoba Chief Grand Chief Arlen Dumas supported Redhead’s calls for additional supports to deal with the situation. “We call upon the federal and provincial governments to help with this statement of emergency that has been called by Shamattawa and flow the necessary resources to First Nations so that they may develop community intervention plans to deal with pandemic-related stress and the deterioration of mental health of their citizens,” he said. “No one should be made to feel like they are alone. We are all in this together.” Resources for people who are dealing with mental health issues or emergencies include Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868, the www.reasontolive. ca Manitoba suicide prevention and support line at 1-877-435-7170 and the First Nation and Inuit Hope for Wellness line at 1-855-242-3310.
Agreement will enable RCMP officers to enforce band bylaws at request of MKO First Nations BY IAN GRAHAM
EDITOR@THOMPSONCITIZEN.NET
RCMP officers will be able to help Northern Manitoba First Nations enforce their own bylaws, including public health measures related to COVID-19, now that a protocol on the practice has been agreed to by the police force and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO). MKOs 26 First Nations aren’t required to request RCMP assistance in the enforcement of bylaws enacted under the Indian Act, but can do so if they wish. “When these bylaws and restrictions were introduced to the communities, there was nothing that would help them enforce those,” said MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee during a Zoom press conference May 25, noting that it has been 25 years since First Nation bylaws were enforced by RCMP or prosecuted in Manitoba. The need for enforcement help in some First Nations was made clear through their response to the COVID pandemic, when they enacted many
measures to help prevent the spread of the virus but were left on their own to enforce them. “Basically we needed help and we were told that the public health orders that the band has, the land code law that the band has, none of it was enforceable,” Misipawistik Cree Nation Chief Heidi Cook told the House of Commons standing committee on Indigenous and northern affairs earlier May 25. First Nations bylaws are considered federal regulations, said MKO policing and public safety advisor Michael Anderson. “MKP has been working for many years to try to secure the enforcement of band bylaws on reserve,” he said. The protocol establishes a way for First Nations and RCMP to agree to work together on bylaw enforcement, with prosecutions by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada also possible when charges are laid. “There was a missing mechanism to investigate and charge those who did
not respect the newly enacted Indian Act bylaws [during the COVID-19 pandemic],” said Manitoba RCMP deputy criminal operations officer Supt. Scott McMurchy. “Once the protocol is signed by an MKO First Nation community our officers will be able to investigate those offences.” The protocol is in effect until Sept. 30 unless the parties decide to extend it but Settee hopes this will lead to a longer-term solution. “The protocol is not a long-term fix,” said the grand chief. Further changes are also afoot to give First Nations Safety Officers the authority to enforce more laws, Anderson told the Indigenous and northern affairs committee prior to MKO and the Manitoba RCMP announcing the protocol. “Just within the past two weeks, Manitoba agreed to amend the safety officer operating agreement to suggest, to make it clear that they have peace officer authority when enforcing
Manitoba RCMP deputy criminal operations officer Supt. Scott McMurchy speaks during a May 25 Zoom press conference about an agreement between the police force and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak to enable police officers to help Northern Manitoba First Nations enforce band bylaws, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic. all band bylaws,” Anderson said. This is important because First Nation Safety Officers need peace officer status to stop people, search them,
seize property and detain them, particularly when it comes to enforcing dry reserve bylaws. “If a First Nation Safety Officer is seizing alcohol
they have to be a peace officer,” Anderson said. “It’s required by the Indian Act. It’s essential that they have the proper authority to do their jobs.”