Summer Beaver First Nation in Desperate Need of Health Support Services

A disturbing report about the mental health staus of the community of Summer Beaver was presented to an emergency working group meeting to discuss the recovery process of Summer Beaver following the plane crash that killed 7 of its members on September 11th last year.

Thunder Bay (PRWEB) June 27, 2004 -- It was revealed today that the Chief and council of Nibinimik First Nation (Summer Beaver), presented a disturbing report to an all agencies meeting last week. The report addressed the communitys wellness strategy and recovery progress following the tragic September 11th, 2003 plane crash. The incident, involving Wasaya Airways Flight 125, killed seven of Nibinimiks community members, including most of the band council, the pilot and a 7 years old boy, when it crashed 10 kilometres northwest of Summer Beaver last Fall.

Representatives from Matawa First Nations Management, Health Canada and health organization, Nodin counselling services were in the community for a two days Emergency meeting to discuss the development of Nibinimiks recovery efforts and to review the communitys current needs following the Wasaya Airways Flight 125 disaster. The overwhelming consensus of the meeting was that a long term wellness strategy must be put into effect for the community. Indeed, while individuals received short term support immediately following the plane crash, long term psychological, clinical, training, and counselling stabilization services are a priority to promote community healing.

Attendants at the meeting were saddened to hear that the communitys mental health status and moral have only slightly improved since the incident and that desperate support services are required from outside agencies. And, despite the Bands efforts to provide healing activities and healthy events throughout the year, community participation is very low and problems with anger, blaming, denial, flashbacks, family violence, anxiety, uncertainty, alcohol and suicide attempts are an ongoing concern. It was underlined that a community clinical assessment had still not been undertaken and that additional support services were a necessity for the forthcoming memorial date and release of the investigation findings and discovery process.

The major obstacles for the community are that most of its members and support staff were related to the victims of the plane crash in some manner and therefore, the entire population is in mourning and not just a specific family group. Secondly, there is a lack of skilled, resource people to manage the community in its crisis. Most importantly, the Band is struggling to provide around the clock support for grieving community members with no formal training in counselling or grief management. Other issues of concern arising from the meeting included the fact that clergy and religious support from the Church had not been made regularly available to the community and that a memorial at the crash site or an access road to facilitate the communitys grieving process had not been acted upon.

Says, Bentley Cheechoo, Tribal Chair of Matawa First Nations Management; We really need to put a long term wellness and recovery strategy into place for the community of Nibinimik. It is impossible to put a time frame on the grieving process, as death and loss affects every one of us differently and at different times. What we need to do, is ensure that this community is not forgotten and that mental health and grief support services are accessible to the people of this community over the next five and even, ten to fifteen years. There are many children in Nibinimik and we cannot estimate when or how these losses and their grief will establish itself. Right now, we are focusing on the immediate needs of the community as a regional working group but with long-term strategies in mind."

The Band has asked the Regional Committee for assistance to deal with these urgent matters and to assist in securing funding for the appropriate support services. However, the underlining question exists; Who is responsible for providing this community with the health and support services it requires and who will front the costs?

A family fun day was also held in the community as part of the Chief and councils ongoing efforts to raise public moral in Nibinamik. Highlights included a sports day, career fair, fish fry and other outdoor activities.

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