Fond du Lac Chief, FSIN call for more northern mental health supports
The chief of the Fond du Lac Denesuline Nation is calling for better mental health supports for his community and particularly first responders after the suicide of a local firefighter.
While no name was given, a press release issued by the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) and Louie Mercredi, Fond du Lac’s Chief, indicated the young man committed suicide – the second firefighter to do so in three years.
“This shows that our communities are in desperate need of immediate full time mental health support staff, especially our front line emergency workers,” Mercredi said. “We continue to lose the battle against suicide in the North.”
Fond du Lac was also rocked by two youth suicides earlier this year. A 16-year-old boy died in the community, while a 15-year-old band member died in Saskatoon just days later.