We've asked for mental health to be expanded in the region. We have two facilities here in our region, and we're looking to expand them. A great deal of work needs to be done in this area.
I think the national suicide prevention strategy that was implemented way back in the day yielded a great deal of results. The friendship centres were involved in that, and so were a lot of other indigenous organizations. We want to see continued focus on our young people, providing support so that we're not involved in the kinds of numbers we're seeing right now.
We need to see a change in the number of people who are feeling like they're hopeless. That takes a combined strategy with a lot of different partners. A lot of it has to do with the institutions that govern, and in some of those interactions, indigenous people feel systemically discriminated against. It's in every institution we can possibly look at. There are examples we can point to.
You need to create the facilities. You need to make space for that. You need to have a strategy so that you also have facilities in the community and support positive livelihoods in the schools. It's all those areas.
Mentorship is key on this. People need to feel supported. Young people need to feel supported and feel loved. It's unfortunate that history has got us to this place, but I think there's an opportunity now for us to create that change.