The Meadow Lake Sled Dog Club will host a memorial race for mental health on Jan. 4 and 5 at Makwa Sahgaihecan First Nation in honour of Jocelyn Weeseekase who took her own life in 2021.
“All of a sudden, she committed,” said Weeseekase’s father, Dion Fineblanket. “She left behind three kids, and she was brought up in a good home.”
For the past eight years, Fineblanket had been a dedicated sled dog racer, a passion he cherished with his family. However, after losing his daughter, he struggled to maintain that spark.
“I gave it up because we’re grieving. I couldn’t carry on because it wasn’t in me anymore,” he said.
“I didn’t want to talk to nobody and be associated with nobody. The words that hurt me were, ‘How are you doing?’ ‘Are you doing better?’ And I would say,’ Yeah, I’m good,’ but realistically, I was hurting inside.”
Fineblanket works as the health director of Makwa Sahgaihecan First Nation. He believes methamphetamine use was part of the reason his daughter had suicidal thoughts.
A 2024 report from the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) highlights the notable connection. In the report, CCSA cited an Australian study from 2009 to 2015 that found about 20 per cent of methamphetamine-related deaths were by suicide, proving an increased risk of suicidal behavior.
“She couldn’t handle life anymore, and because of the way, she might think that ‘I disappointed my parents’ because she knew we didn’t drink and when she knew she had a good home,” Fineblanket said when discussing how he believes the drug intensified the negativity in Weeseekase’s mind.
While methamphetamine use is generally low in Canada, since 2013, CCSA noted that its availability and associated harms have significantly increased, especially in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
Citing a report from Statistics Canada, in 2023, there were 893 milligrams of methamphetamine per 1,000 people per day in Saskatoon alone.
Rather than hiding the pain and grief, Fineblanket wants to bring this conversation to the forefront through the sled dog race, letting people struggling mentally know that help is available.
“I was scared to talk about it, and then I realized that I needed help myself, so I started to talk about it more, and the more I talked about it, the more I got motivated to do a race for my daughter.”
“And not to just remember that she was a beautiful girl, [and] she was my queen, but also suicide is serious, and it devastates a lot of families,” he noted. “That’s what we need to work on, and that’s what we’ve been doing, talking about the things that hurt us and moving forward with that, so we don’t lose no more loved ones to suicide.”
Looking ahead, besides bringing the effort to raise awareness for mental health, Fineblanket said he will cherish every day he spends with his family and, hopefully, return to sled dog racing.
“It’s comforting, and that’s what I miss…my dogs, leashes, families and stuff like that. Everybody’s laughing, and we have our little moments of little incidents when we’re racing and stuff like that,” he said.
“Good times that I have really missed.”
The race starts at 10 a.m. and continues into the evening. Following the race, supper will take place at 7 p.m. at the Meadow Lake Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76 and will feature talks on mental health issues from representatives of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).
**If you are in Canada and you’re in crisis or worried about someone who is, you can call or text 9-8-8, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for bilingual, trauma-informed, and culturally appropriate suicide prevention support.
If you are under the age of 18 you can also contact Kids Help Phone which offers 24/7 text service that does not need a data plan, internet connection or an app to use it. Text CONNECT or call 1-800-668-6868.
For Indigenous Peoples: Hope for Wellness provides immediate non-judgemental, culturally competent, trauma-informed emotional support, crisis intervention, or referrals to community-based services. Call 1-855-242-3310 or go to their website for chat services.
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