Members of First Nation experiencing suicide crisis welcome youth cycling across Canada

A First Nations youthcycling across the country to raise awareness for a suicide crisis in Manitoba's Tataskewayak Cree Nationwas met with hugsfrom its community membersjust outside Winnipeg on Wednesday.

"As soon as I felt embraced by them, nothing else mattered,"said Rylee Nepinak.

"So it was a lot of emotions, a lot of positive emotions."

Nepinak, who is Anishinaabe from Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba, started his cross-country cyclingjourney on Aug.11inVancouverand has covered close to 1,900 kilometres in two weeks.

On Wednesday morning a dozen Tataskweyak youthjoined him as he reachedHeadingley, Man.,just outside of Winnipeg, andcycled with him into the city on Highway 1.

"Receiving all the support from not only Tataskweyak Cree Nation, but also, you know, home, it's really motivating for me. So I have a lot of momentum going," said Nepinak.

Tataskweyak Cree Nation Chief Doreen Spence said the community, which is over 700 kilometres north of Winnipeg,has had to deal with 14 suicides, 11 of which were youth, and many suicide attempts over the past year and a half.

Nepinakreached out to Spence and members from the community before his trip,askingfor the community's blessing to do the bike ride. He said hewould like to inspire First Nations youth to get involved in their communities. Heco-foundedthe Winnipeg-based, Indigenous youth-led community group Anishiative.

"There was a point in my life where I felt like my voice wasn't being heard and now it is and it's very empowering," he said.

"And I want them to have that same feeling."

Grateful for the support

Kaitlynn Thibeaultfrom Tataskweyak Cree Nation said that recentlylife has been "pretty stressful" for many of the youth who live there.

"I just want to say that we need help," she said.

"Like, we desperately need help, and I'm calling to everybody across Canada, across the entire world. Please listen to us.Please."

She said she wants the young people in her community to find healthy ways to cope with their mental health, including talking about their feelings.

"I hope I can see them talking to somebody instead of holding it in," said Thibeault.

"And I hope that they're strong enough to realize that they need to change themselves, too. If we want to see change, we have to see it within ourselves first."

In terms of mental health support, she would like to see family therapy and more people in her community going back to their traditional ways of living.

Spence saidmost of the people who travelled to Winnipeg to greet Nepinak have been personally affected by the losses in the community.

She said she hopes the bike rideand Wednesday's event offers a form of healing for many of the young people who were in attendance.

She said leadership has been in meetings with Indigenous Services Canada and Red Crossand that they would like to build a mental wellness facility in the future.

Nepinak plans to make his way by bicycle to Halifaxby Sept.19.