The Neskantaga First Nation in northern Ontario declared a state of emergency in 2013.
The following information was originally published in the Toronto Star.
Government of Canada responses when First Nations reserves declare an emergency are often inadequate and unresolved for years.
It took three sudden deaths, four suicides and 20 suicide attempts for the Neskantaga First Nation in Ontario to declare a state of emergency three years ago.
The community says that it will take much more than what the government has offered so far to end the crisis 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay.
Desperation hardly begins to describe the situation in the community that is home to 400 members. It has the shameful distinction of being the First Nations reserve with the longest-running boil water advisory. The warning was issued by Health Canada on Feb. 1, 1995.
But the community reached the cracking point that led to the emergency declaration on April 17, 2013, when a 19-year-old boy killed himself while others were gathered for the burial of another young man who had died a week earlier.
The community experienced an emotional collapse. The federal and provincial governments responded by bringing in psychologists and counsellors to help deal with the grief and to treat others deemed to be at risk of taking their own lives, according to Neskantaga’s current chief, Wayne Moonias.
The assistance was “very limited,” he said. “We had to basically fight for whatever resources we were able to get.”
Despite the community’s best efforts, the problems continued.
State of Emergency
The state of emergency declaration is one tool available to First Nations communities in crisis, just as it is for any Canadian municipality. Whether the cause is a natural disaster, infrastructure failure or health problem, the declaration is meant to trigger an urgent response from the federal and provincial governments to bring the ordeal to an end.
A Toronto Star investigation has found that the government responses when First Nations reserves declare an emergency are often inadequate. Chiefs, band council members and native advocacy groups who have experience with these situations said the government assistance often lacks both money and resources to bring the emergencies to an end.
The investigation also found that states of emergency on reserves frequently linger, unresolved, for years.
In Ontario, the longest ongoing state of emergency dates back six years. On June 1, 2010, the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council, which includes the remote James Bay community of Attawapiskat, declared an emergency over what it said was a youth-suicide epidemic. The council is demanding funding for a public inquiry before it will rescind the declaration.
It was also in Attawapiskat, which is home to 2,000 people, that the most recent state of emergency was declared on April 9, 2016.
Numerous indigenous leaders complained that the federal and provincial governments take a reactive approach to crisis rather than trying to address the systemic issues at the heart of the problem.
Neskantaga’s current chief, Wayne Moonias said there are still suicide attempts in the community. Just after Christmas, a 14-year-old girl killed herself.
“Imagine if you’re living in a two-bedroom house with four or three other families and unable to sleep in your own room. Imagine if you’re not able to secure employment. Imagine if you don’t have drinking water along with the tragic losses that you’ve experienced,” Moonias said. “That’s what some of our families and youth and community members are facing.”
Ontario’s Aboriginal Affairs Minister, David Zimmer, issued a written statement to the Star, saying that responsibility for conditions on reserves falls to the federal government, although the province plays a role in the emergency response.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, who visited Attawapiskat, Neskantaga and Pikangikum first nations recently, said in a written statement that her department takes state of emergency declarations “with the utmost seriousness.”
“Our department is committed to ensuring there is immediate action by INAC in collaboration with the appropriate departments, as well as our provincial and territorial partners when an emergency is declared,” Bennett’s statement said. “Beyond the immediate situation, we remain dedicated to working in genuine partnership to address the inexcusable social and economic gaps that exist in many indigenous communities.”
Scroll down to see a list of all the First Nation state of emergencies in effect ― including 28 in Ontario.
***
First Nations states of emergency in Canada
Alberta
No active states of emergency
Resolved State of Emergency:
Location: Blood Tribe First Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: June 17, 2014
Location: Blood Tribe First Nation
Reason: Drug use and abuse
Date: March 4, 2015
Location: Bigstone Cree First Nation
Reason: Wildfire
Date: May 27, 2015
Location: Tallcree First Nation
Reason: Wildfire
Date: July 7, 2015
British Columbia
No active states of emergency
Resolved states of emergency:
Location: Tseshaht First Nation
Reason: Severe wind and rain storm
Date: December 2014
Manitoba
Active states of emergency
Location: Cross Lake First Nation
Reason: Multiple suicide attempts
Date: March 2016
New Brunswick
No active states of emergency
Newfoundland and Labrador
No active states of emergency
No states of emergency declared since 2014
Northwest Territories
No active states of emergency
No states of emergency declared since 2014
Nova Scotia
No active states of emergency
No states of emergency declared since 2014
Nunavut
Active states of emergency
Resolved states of emergency:
Location: Pond Inlet
Reason: Breakdown of community sewage trucks
Date: Feb. 11, 2015
Location: Pangnirtung
Reason: Power outages due to fire
Date: April 2, 2015
Ontario
Active states of emergency
Location: Mushkegowuk Tribal Council
Reason: Mental health crisis
Date: June 1, 2010
Location: Constance Lake First Nation
Reason: Failure of the water treatment facility
Date: July 28, 2010
Location: Mushkegowuk Tribal Council
Reason: Poor housing conditions
Date: Oct. 29, 2011
Location: Attawapiskat First Nation
Reason: Poor housing conditions
Date: Nov. 12, 2011
Location: Independent First Nations Alliance
Reason: Lack of withdrawal management support
Date: Feb. 23, 2012
Location: Pikangikum First Nation
Reason: Power and telephone outage
Date: Nov. 25, 2012
Location: Neskantaga First Nation
Reason: Mental health crisis
Date: April 17, 2013
Location: Attawapiskat First Nation
Reason: Flooding and sewage back up
Date: April 30, 2013
Location: Constance Lake First Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: May 2, 2013
Location: Batchewana First Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: Sept. 12, 2013
Location: Sandy Lake First Nation
Reason: Housing crisis
Date: Oct. 11, 2013
Location: Slate Falls First Nation
Reason: Human health concern
Date: Nov. 13, 2013
Location: Mishkeego-gamang First Nation
Reason: Mental health crisis
Date: March 3, 2014
Location: Neskantaga First Nation
Reason: Loss of water supply
Date: April 2014
Location: Gull Bay First Nation
Reason: Critical infrastructure failure
Date: May 3, 2014
Location: Kashechewan First Nation
Reason: Spring flood
Date: May 10, 2014
Location: Couchiching First Nation
Reason: Flooding damage to homes and infrastructure.
Date: June 12, 2014
Location: Seine River First Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: June 21, 2014
Location: Nigigoonisiminikaaning First Nation
Reason: Threat of floods from the Rainy River water system
Date: June 21, 2014
Location: Poplar Hill First Nation
Reason: Lack of sustainable power from the diesel generating system
Date: Sept. 3, 2014
Location: Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation
Reason: Mental health crisis
Date: Oct. 30, 2014
Location: Attawapiskat First Nation
Reason: Human health crisis
Date: Dec. 1, 2014
Location: Peawanuck First Nation
Reason: Threat of flooding
Date: May 13, 2015
Location: Dokis First Nation
Reason: Diesel fuel spill contaminating the water plant system
Date: June 8, 2015
Location: Grassy Narrows First Nation
Reason: Contaminated drinking water
Date: Aug. 25, 2015
Location: Bearskin Lake First Nation
Reason: Mental health and crisis management difficulties
Date: Dec. 23, 2015
Location: Northwest Angle No. 33 First Nation
Reason: Water contamination
Date: Feb. 17, 2016
Location: Attawapiskat First Nation
Reason: Multiple suicide attempts
Date: April 9, 2016
Resolved states of emergency:
Location: Wawakapewin First Nation
Reason: Loss of water supply
Date: March 2014
Location: Chippewas of Nawash First Nation
Reason: Water treatment plant failure
Date: June 6, 2014
Location: Mitaajigamiing First Nation
Reason: Potential flooding which would impact water treatment plant
Date: June 18, 2014
Location: Wabaseemoong First Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: June 24, 2014
Location: Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation
Reason: Environmental contamination
Date: April 2015
Location: Constance Lake First Nation
Reason: Seasonal flooding causing water and sewer back up in homes
Date: April 16, 2015
Location: Fort Albany and Kashechewan First Nation
Reason: Potential floods due to spring ice break up
Date: April 27, 2015
Location: Shoal Lake #40 First Nation
Reason: Loss of community’s ferry
Date: May 6, 2015
Location: Mattagami First Nation
Reason: Power loss due to ice storm
Date: Dec. 13, 2015
Location: Lake Helen First Nation
Reason: Bridge closure
Date: Jan. 10, 2016
Quebec
No active states of emergency
No states of emergency declared since 2014
Saskatchewan
No active states of emergency
Resolved states of emergency:
Location: Lac La Ronge First Nation Reason: Wildfire
Date: June 6, 2015
Location: Lac La Ronge First Nation
Reason: Wildfire
Date: June 25, 2015
Location: Clearwater River Dene Nation
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: Birch Narrows Dene Nation
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: Little Red River Reserve
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: Wahpeton Dakota Nation
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: Canoe Lake First Nation
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: La Plonge First Nations
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: English River (Patuanak) First Natio
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: South End First Nation
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: Deschambault Lake (Kimosom Pwatinahk)
Reason: Wildfire, smoke and air-quality issues
Date: 2015
Location: James Smith Cree Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Stanley Mission Indian Band
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Star Blanket Cree Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Ochapowace First Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Kawacatoose First Nation IR #88
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Peepeekisis IR #81
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Little Black Bear Reserve
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Muskowekwan First Nation #85
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Cowessess FN #73
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Sakimay First Nation #74
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Location: Carry the Kettle First Nation
Reason: Flooding
Date: 2014
Yukon
No active states of emergency
No states of emergency declared since 2014
About the data:
The information contained in this list is based on information obtained from provincial, territorial and federal governments.
The Star requested details on all active states of emergency declared on First Nations reserves, as well as details on all states of emergency on reserves that were called between January 2014 and the present and have since been lifted.
Some provinces have laws by which states of emergency automatically expire after a set period of time. In Alberta and British Columbia, for example, a state of emergency expires after seven days. In Manitoba, it expires automatically after 30 days.
There may be additional health emergencies that are not recorded in this data. Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada officials said that Health Canada is responsible for information on First Nations health emergencies. Health Canada officials said that local and provincial governments keep that information. With the exception of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, provinces referred the Star’s inquiries back to the federal government.
Sources:
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada; Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services; Alberta Indigenous Relations; Secrétariat aux affaires autochtones du Québec; Saskatchewan Government Relations; Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness; Yukon Department of Community Services, Northwest Territories Municipal and Community Affairs; Nunavut Emergency Management.
Toronto Star:
Red Power Media contains copyrighted material. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair dealing” in an effort to advance a better understanding of Indigenous – political, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to our followers for educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair dealing” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
RED POWER MEDIA 