The manslaughter charge against a 23-year-old woman from Shoal Lake Cree Nation has been upgraded from manslaughter to second degree murder.

Last Friday night around 7 p.m., Carrot River RCMP responded to a report of a seriously injured child under 10 at a home on Shoal Lake Cree Nation who was pronounced deceased at the scene. Twenty-three-year-old Karrena Young was arrested and charged in connection to the child’s death.

The Shoal Lake Cree Nation (SLCN), and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations have issued a joint media release on the recent loss of a young community member on Shoal Lake Cree Nation.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron says the gap between what is promised and what is delivered remains huge when it comes to resources and support. Chief Cameron says communities know what they need: 24/7 crisis intervention services, accessible addiction treatment programs, youth mental health supports, traditional healing resources, and properly funded community wellness teams.