Often gone undetected by the rest of Canada, First Nations communities are have been in a crisis for years, but has received little to no aid from both the provincial and the federal government. This article takes upon a strong viewpoint from the position of many First Nations living across Canada; highlighting their cry for help from First Nations chiefs. First Nations communities suffer from large episodes of rash suicides, often among youth, and other issues that link to it; including, substance abuse, child-welfare cases, overcrowding, unemployment, and poverty. State of emergency declaration is a tool available to First Nations communities in crisis, but reports have found that it has been insufficient. As government aid lacks both money and resources, it puts a crisis unresolved for years and 89 communities still in a state of crisis. This article shows bias as it only proves arguments showing that First Nations communities are not getting enough aid from the government. The title itself, “A First Nations cry for help gets little government attention: Star investigation”, shows to prove that this is convincing readers to agree upon and sympathize with the side of the issue that First Nations need more aid. Further, there are many quotes from First Nations chiefs, often outlying that the federal government is unwilling to work with them to resolve this issue. Although this article is shinning light on an issue that goes undetected by Canadians, it lacks reasoning from other viewpoints on the issue, including one of the largest participant: the federal government.
Reflective Questions:
- Do you believe that the issues in First Nations communities should be dealt by the provincial or federal government, why or why not? Would either one bring upon the same level of support?
- As the declaration of state of emergencies in First Nations communities are almost always going undetected and not addressed, how could communities try to prevent large suicide attempts and other issues on their own while waiting for solutions?