"Seven girls in all, whose lives had intersected back home or in group homes or care facilities far away from their First Nations communities, took their lives within a year of one another."
Here, Talaga gives a poignant example of youth suicide among indigenous communities. In this example, seven girls took part in a suicide pact, resulting in their deaths. The communities discovered their plans earlier on and approached the federal government for help. However, no help was given due to a lack of funding, and as a result the girls took their own life. Talaga uses this example to point to the huge failings of the country in providing their citizens adequate healthcare and mental health care.
"From 1986 through December 2017, there were more than 558 suicides across [Nishnawbe Aski Nation] territory, a community comprising only 49,000 people. Last year, 2017, was the worst in recent memory, with 37 suicides. Most of the suicides are by hanging, and the majority are by young men."
Talaga uses these statistics so show how high suicide rates are among indigenous communities. This is in Talaga’s style, as she repeatedly points to statistics and evidence to illustrate her argument, and to provide emotive examples. These statistics are incredibly alarming, showing how high the suicide rate is among such a small population. By telling us 2017 was the worst year in recent memory, Talaga is suggesting that this problem is not improving, meaning that the government need to rethink the way they are dealing with mental health in these communities.
