A makeshift campground has formed outside the Indigenous Affairs office in Regina.
The protesters say they won’t leave until there is a firm commitment from the federal government that something will be done to address the suicide crisis facing Aboriginal youth on reserves across the country.
This follows the recent attempted suicides of more than a dozen teens on the Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario.
Traditional First Nations music played from a radio, as protesters set up tents, sleeping bags and lawn chairs, saying they are there for the long haul. Organizer Robyn Pitawanakwat says the mental health crisis goes well beyond Attawapiskat. She says the Liberal government is not doing enough.
“They are not thinking long-term and they are thinking only of one community and there are hundreds of communities that have a crisis of some kind or another,” she says. “They all need to be addressed, not just the worst of the worst.”
The INAC office in Regina has been closed since Friday when protesters staged a noon hour rally. The closure continued today with the door locked and a notice placed on the window saying, “Sorry for the inconvenience”, but giving no indication when it might reopen. Pitawanakwat says that is not fair to the many people who use the services.
“It is sad to see the people coming up to the INAC door expecting service and they realize they can’t get what they need,” she says. “And really, with no explanation other than that sad little taped piece of paper on the window.”
Earlier, Indigenous Affairs provided MBC News with a written statement, saying:
“In order to ensure the well-being of the public and security of the buildings, INAC regional offices in Toronto and Winnipeg are currently closed. Other INAC regional offices, including Gatineau, Regina, Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Quebec are currently operating but closed to the public. We recognize the public’s right to engage in peaceful protests and lawful assembly and are balancing that against the need to ensure public and staff well-being.”
But at last word, only four Indigenous Affairs offices remain closed to the public today. They include Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto and Gatineau, Quebec.
Offices in Vancouver and Calgary reopened today.