The struggling, isolated town of Attawapiskat in Ontario, Canada has an unbelievable high number of suicide's attempts and suicides. 130 people of the 2000 inhabitants have tried in one year.
The town's chief Bruce Shisheesh explains the reasons are being an isolated community with high unemployment, overcrowded, boredom and loneliness.
Three-quarters of Attawapiskat's population are under 35 and most of the elders speak Cree.
The crisis has pushed the health service to breaking point. The town can only be reached, in winter, by ice roads. When the temperature rises and the thick ice starts to melt it can only be reached by air. It closes the supply of drugs and alcohol which slows down the addiction for a time being.
Attawapiskat is 60 miles from the Victor diamond mine owned by the De Beers but the community is incredible poor even by aboriginal standards. The diamond mine does provide only some employment and the people of Attawapiskat survive mostly by hunting and fishing.
By now the Aboriginal leaders lost all their belief in the promises of help from the Canadian Government. They received promises too often but were never kept and all the time the suicides continued.
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