Amid heightened calls for mental health supports, a 10-year-old girl in northern Saskatchewan has taken her own life.
Grand Chief Ron Michel of the Prince Albert Grand Council said the latest suicide involved the child from Deschambault Lake, about 500 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
Michel revealed the news Tuesday to hundreds of shocked and saddened delegates at the council’s annual assembly in Prince Albert.
“It’s with great sadness to hear what happened to that little girl today,” Jobb said.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us…a great deal of work we need to do, we can’t let this happen.”
It comes after two girls from Stanley Mission and one from La Ronge, all between the ages of 12 and 14, committed suicide earlier this month.
Michel says he wants dozens of northern communities involved in the council to talk to their young residents and create a plan of action to stop the suicides.
First Nations officials said last week there had been numerous suicide attempts this month and that more than 20 youths were considered at risk.
– With files from paNOW.