Here is one result of greed..
BIRDTAIL SIOUX FIRST NATION, Man. (CP) - All three police officers
stationed at this troubled reserve have been on either sick leave or stress
leave because of a recent rash of suicides, reports the Brandon Sun.
The newspaper quoted a member of the Dakota Ojibwa Police Service, who
asked not to be identified, as saying that's meant at times the nearest
officers left to police the small community are an hour away at Oak Lake.
The member also said senior administrators of the DOPS aren't doing much to
help the traumatized officers, an accusation denied by department
officials.
More than 20 people have attempted suicide in the last 13 months at the
reserve. Seven were successful.
Nevertheless, the department only recently instructed the officers who
handled the deaths to get counselling, the officer said. "It's just like
they don't provide any support for the guys out in the field," said the
officer. "We don't get any kind of direction from them whatsoever. The only
time we hear from them is when we do something wrong."
Deputy chief Dave Scott said the recent leaves taken by the Birdtail
members are unrelated to the suicides. He added its DOPS policy that
officers seek counselling after a traumatic situation and the department
makes every effort to ensure they get the help they need. In fact, he said,
he's made personal calls to members himself to check how they're doing. "I
offer them the support they do need or may need and I indicate it's policy
that they're ordered to go for debriefing on the incident with the
caregiver psychologist," Scott said. "We offer it to them and whether they
take it or not its up to them."
But the unnamed officer said until recently he didn't know trauma
debriefing was available. "When all these things happened you'd think
they'd do something about it . . . tell everyone what was available to
them."
Dr. Ron Richert, a clinical psychologist for the DOPS and the RCMP, said
trauma debriefing should take place 24 to 72 hours after the incident to
prevent long-term chronic mental health problems such as post-traumatic
stress disorder. "The research tends to show you can have more favourable
impact because the reaction to that event has not yet set or gelled for the
individual," he said. "So that's the time to get to them and try to open up
a dialogue or discussion."
Whether through relatives or friends, the rash of suicides has touched
almost everyone in the tightly knit community, 145 kilometres northeast of
Brandon. Many suicides appear to be linked. One suicide last July happened
on the same day another band member was buried. Another band member ended
his life by taking a lethal amount of pills less than two months after his
common-law wife hanged herself.
Many Birdtail residents believe they live on the worst reserve in
Manitoba. Many houses are falling apart as mould eats away at carpeting and
drywall. One asthmatic woman and her two grandchildren live illegally in a
home condemned by Health Canada.
Police have said say substance abuse is worse at Birdtail than on other
nearby reserves. "Here there's nothing really to do," Const. Charles Jebb
has said. "There a lack of employment and people turn to alcoholis |
