Violence in M'Chigeeng frustrates chief

It's been a long couple of sleepless nights for M'Chigeeng First Nation Chief Linda Debassige, whose been worried about her community.

Debassige was one of the first calls Tuesday morning, alerting her to the fact that there had been a shooting in her Manitoulin Island community.

The victim later died in hospital.

"The frustrating piece for our community is that this is the second one in less than 40 days," Debassige told CTV News in an interview.

The last shooting in the First Nation happened on Feb. 26 in M'Chigeeng. Police are still looking for the suspect in that case, 37-years-old Prince Almando Graham, of Toronto, who is wanted for attempted murder.

Debassige said all of the individuals involved in Tuesday morning's shooting are non-band members.

"My community, of course, is reeling from the incident," she said. "I was, again, in complete shock to get that call."

It was information that the security firm M'Chigeeng contracts out that allowed police to find the vehicle they were looking for after this latest shooting and arrest the individuals inside. Investigators have also since been able to recover the weapon.

Members of the Peer Outreach and Support Program also knocked on doors to make sure members of the community were doing OK. It's a program designed to help other community members through recovery, wellness and harm reduction.

"And people who are struggling in our community are often falling victim to these predators that are attending our community," Debassige said. "They do have their own challenges, most of it extending from intergenerational trauma and traumas inflicted on them."

With issues like the 'Sixties Scoop' and residential schools, the chief said they aren't being provided with the necessary mental health and harm reduction strategies needed to recover and foster abstinence.

"So what we've been able to do is work with our partners at Indigenous Services Canada, Ontario region, they've been able to support some of our initiatives that we've enlisted," she said.

Another challenge the First Nation is facing is that the funding for their contracted security service runs out on April 15. Debassige said she has reached out to Public Safety Canada and the Ontario Solicitor General's office, the two entities in charge of the First Nations policing program, about the issue, but said she's still waiting for a response.

"We rely on the UCCM Anishnaabe Police Service and they lack the resources, both human and financial, to provide a proactive police service to ensure the safety of our residents and to help address these very serious and violent crimes that are happening," she said.

The chief and council have been busy trying to put together additional support to help members work through their addictions.

The goal is to foster and create a safe space where they concentrate on rebuilding relationships in the community so that people are "understanding the aspects of trauma."

"Trauma, when not addressed in the right way, creates issues like addiction and substance abuse, and that's where we find many of our community members falling victim to these outside drug dealers," Debassige said.

"It's very frustrating because many of these outside people are targeting women. Indigenous women are the target of these predators and they have children, families who love them and it's heartbreaking, it's frustrating."

She took to Facebook, in a post that was written right after the shooting, pleading with members of the community that if they see something, say something to the police. Debassige wants the community to come together.

"I ask you to think about our loved ones, our families, our children of our community, our elders, our friends, our infants that are yet to be born - I ask you to think about our ancestors who have gone before us. Is this what we want of our community? Do we want the next shooting to be one of them? No, we don't. We can stop this but only if we do it together," she wrote.

"If you are harbouring people with guns and selling drugs, then you are part of the problem that we are working at solving which leads to the erosion of our community. Please think about what you're doing."

Debassige said they are continuing to work with UCCM Anishinaabe Police Service to advocate for more officers and more specialized police services.

She plans on continuing her advocacy for M'Chigeeng First Nation.

The Ontario Provincial Police have yet to disclose whether charges have been laid. Its Criminal Investigations Branch has been called in to handle the homicide investigation.