FORT MCMURRAY, AB- A First Nations group in northern Alberta has declared a state of emergency and launched a task force to tackle an escalating mental health and addictions crisis that they say has caused the deaths of dozens of community members. 

The Athabasca Tribal Council, which represents five First Nations in northern Alberta, says 60 community members have died this year from overdose, suicides, and self-harm. The council is calling on all levels of government for financial support.

This ATC notes that this amounts to more loss of life in ATC First Nations than were reported in the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"These communities are resilient. They are strong. But we need 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."

Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Chipewyan Prairie First Nation, Fort McMurray 468 First Nation and Mikisew Cree First Nation have independently declared states of local emergency. ATC is declaring the Regional State of Emergency to call on the government to provide immediate and sustainable funding of $20 million that will allow ATC to focus on:

• 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 addictions 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, to help ensure basic needs are met and families are supported during the recovery process.

• A regional First Nations-led policing program, equipped to quickly respond to drug issues in the community, address racism and increase community security.

While the opioid and mental health crisis is faced by communities across the country, the group says 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. The ATC said community members don't want to travel far away for help, but want local assistance.

"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."

In April, toxic drugs killed 182 people in Alberta, the most deaths in a month since 2016, according to provincial statistics.

The ATC task force includes community members, health-care professionals, emergency management officials and RCMP.