30 Pimicikamak leaders at suicide prevention forum in Thompson this week

A Pimicikamak teacher who'sin Thompson, Man., this week to learnabout suicide prevention says she sees positive change in the communitya month after it declared a state of emergency over suicide deaths and attempts.

• Pimicikamak declares state of emergency to deal with suicide crisis
• Pimicikamak staff and students struggle to deal with crisis, principal says
• Father struggles with heartbreak, Pimicikamak continues call for help

Angie McLeod, a substitute teacher,arrived in Thompson with30 people fromPimicikamakon Wednesday for an extra training session ahead of the seventh Hope Forum on Thursday and Friday.

The session focused on how to recognize body language and conversations that could identify when someone might be contemplating suicide. She and the 10 others from Pimicikamak (Cross Lake First Nation)who attended the session also learned how to intervene.

"[I'm] learning strategies on how to deal with suicide in the community, how to understand people and [I'll] bring that back to Cross Lake and to teach others how to be alert," she said.

Pimicikamak declared a state of emergency in March after six community members, one of them off reserve, killed themselves over a three-month timespan. About 100 youth in the community were listed as at risk of suicide.The reserve has a population of about 5,800 people, Aboriginal Affairs says.

Pimicikamakhas sent its community members to the Hope Forum in the past but never this many. This year the forum's theme is Journeys to Recovery. About 330 people registered for the forumrepresent more than 26 communities.

Motivational speaker and musician Susan Aglukark fromNunavut will speak on Thursday. She will be joined by mental health advocate Nigel Bart, who founded Artbeat Studio in Winnipeg, which gives artists living with mental illness a space to work.

On Friday, a youth anti-stigma summit will aim to inspire youth to become leaders in their community. Last month community leaders from Pimicikamak raised money to send youth to attend the summit.

Pimicikamak youth fundraise for suicide prevention conference

9 years ago

Duration 2:12

A group of Pimicikamak youth raised $1,700 in two days to send teens to a suicide prevention conference in Thompson, Man. in April.

McLeod said she has seen a positive change in the northern Manitoba community in the past month.

"The younger people, they're more self-confident. They're more alert. They have an easier time talking about things that they're struggling with. The peer support that they give each other is strong," she said.

A spokesperson for the government of Canada confirmedtherapists continue to provide support to the community. Federal and provincial leaders met with the community last monthto discuss mental health and suicide prevention. The federal government also gave the community $654,000 last month towards mental health counselling and supports, the spokesperson said.

McLeod said she would like to see more parents going with their kids to activities, such as youth committee meetings where kids take part in sharing circles.

"There's a lack of parent support there. They don't come.They need to be there in case it gets too much for them to handle," she said.

McLeod said she's feeling positive about the future of the community because youth are starting clubs.

"They're talking a lot about plans and goals that are positive, and they're always sending positive messages to other youth and inviting them. It's just a matter of participating."