The Athabasca Tribal Council (ATC), serving five First Nations in Northern Alberta, is declaring a Regional State of Emergency on Thursday as the region faces an escalating mental health and addictions crisis..Since January, at least 30 community members from across the First Nations served by the ATC — Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, and Fort McKay First Nation — have been lost to overdose, suicide or the results of self-harm..This amounts to more loss of life in ATC First Nations than was reported in the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic..“These communities are resilient. They are strong. But we need a fast response and true partnership from Canada and Alberta to get services in place that will support people to heal and save lives,” said Karla Buffalo, Chief Executive Officer of Athabasca Tribal Council..“Too many families are grieving right now. There has been too much tragedy. A regional, sustainable response is what we need to save lives.”.Buffalo said when both COVID-19 hit and the latest wildfire began to spread, governments responded quickly..They responded with urgency. They responded with funding. Governments need to commit to true and continued partnership to address the mental health and addictions crisis that is escalating across this region — with the urgency this crisis requires, Buffalo noted..Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation and Mikisew Cree First Nation have also independently declared states of local emergency..ATC said with the support of and on behalf of the Nations, it is declaring a Regional State of Emergency to call on the government to provide immediate and sustainable funding.."We need governments to treat mental health with the same seriousness as they do other public health crises. We cannot wait for an 'easier' time to save lives," ATC stated.."The time for governments to act is right now.".The Nations and ATC said they are calling for a sustainable funding agreement that will allow ATC to focus on the urgent needs..Developing a Regional Community Action Plan for a coordinated, unified regional response and a comprehensive approach for dealing with generational and cultural trauma..Establishing sustainable, ongoing, local and culturally safe resources for mental health and addiction care, including detoxification, treatment and post-treatment centres with land-based healing, physical infrastructure and resourcing for operations and maintenance..Appropriate human health resources to support treatment and post-treatment centres, Community Well-Being Teams and a Crisis Response Team..Development of a regional employment strategy for people who are working toward living in a good way, to help ensure basic needs are met and families are supported during the recovery process..A regional First Nations-led policing program, that is equipped to quickly respond to drug issues in the community, address racism and include the immediate need for increased community security..The ATC said while the opioid and mental health crisis is one faced by communities across the country, the challenge is exacerbated for these First Nations with "unhealed trauma from colonization, suppression of cultural practices, repeated fires and floods, and the difficulty accessing health-care funding experienced by many indigenous communities.".“We have a plan to help our communities recover and thrive. We need immediate, tangible action,” said Chief Allan Adam, Athabasca Tribal Council Board President and Chief of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation..“Sustainable progress takes sustainable funding. We cannot rebuild communities and help them thrive without the support to make it happen.”.ATC said it will officially declare its regional State of Emergency on Thursday at 10 a.m. MDT.
