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“One suicide, we could have handled…. Not easily, but we could have come back,” said Moonias.

But the suicides are coming so close together that almost no one in the community of about 300 has been left untouched, he said. And now, they can’t cope.

“Now we have nothing left. We have hardly anybody who is not affected in the community. The community situation right now is in a state of shock. A lot of them are wondering what will happen next. The live in fear that something else will happen.”

Community and regional leaders decided to declare the state of emergency on Wednesday in order to mobilize help from the Red Cross and the Ontario government’s emergency management office.

“Now we have nothing left. We have hardly anybody who is not affected in the community. The community situation right now is in a state of shock.”

Moonias said he was also hoping for help from any level of government in putting together a long-term plan that will confront Neskantaga’s serious problems with addiction to prescription drugs.

He is also hoping that other First Nations will heed Neskantaga’s cry for help.

“It will be a devastating thing for my people if nobody listens. Like we don’t exist, you know?”

The Ojibway chief estimates that more than half the community’s adults are addicted to OxyContin or other painkillers. Recently, he has seen evidence of trafficking in Tylenol too, selling for $5 a pill.

The limited health care resources made available to Neskantaga to deal with addictions have been insufficient and have not worked well, Moonias added.

“Let’s help these young people,” he said. “I don’t want this to continue another day, another month.”