A state of emergency has been declared:
A First Nation in southwestern Manitoba is declaring a state of emergency, after four of its community members have died by suicide in recent weeks.
In a public letter written to Indigenous Services Canada, the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation is asking for immediate assistance and money for more mental health resources.
Jennifer Bone, the nation's chief, said since last Saturday, three community members have taken their own lives. Prior to that, another person did the same — bringing the total number of deaths by suicide in the First Nation to four in the span of a month.
The First Nation, 240 kilometres west of Winnipeg, has a population of approximately 2,600, with about 1,600 people living on-reserve, Bone said.
"We're grieving as a community. We feel the loss and and the grief within the community because it impacts everybody."
She said the deaths spread across a range of demographics. Two involved young mothers. The other two were a man in his 20s and a man in his 40s.