Overcoming suicide in Aboriginal communities
By: Megan Schellenberg,
Program Coordinator
Honouring Life Network
I recently met a man of Aboriginal decent by the name of Arnold W. Thomas who was at a First Nations youth suicide prevention conference in Saskatchewan.
Mr. Thomas is a renowned public speaker, the CEO of his own company, and travels around North America and Europe to discuss the value of life and the triumph of overcoming an attempted suicide.
When he was just 18 years old, he attempted suicide by bringing a hunting rifle to his chin and pulling the trigger. While he is now blind and has visible scars from the incident, he carries himself with confidence. The message he promotes is just as powerful- and rightly so.
With rates that are between three and 11 times higher than the national average, there is a suicide epidemic occurring among the Aboriginal youth population in Canada. In fact, suicide is now the number one cause of death in this population, which also happens to be the fastest growing population in Canada.
In 2005, the Government of Canada dedicated 65 million dollars to the National Aboriginal Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy (NAYSPS) with the intention of addressing the causes, risk factors, and preventative measures that are being used.
But four years later youth suicide is still occurring at an alarming rate, which begs the question- why?
As a survivor of suicide myself, I do not think there is one simple answer to this question however many of these suicides occur in communities that lack proper preventative resources and support systems for their youth. Additionally, drug addiction, alcoholism, poverty, isolation, sexual and physical abuse are definite factors in many of these instances. In my situation, I did not experience any of these detrimental factors in my life. I did suffer from a long undiagnosed mental illness that resulted in self-mutilation (aka ‘cutting’) and multiple suicide attempts.
I am not blaming any one particular group or person for the high youth suicide rate in some Aboriginal communities (i.e. the government, the community, or mainstream society, etc.). Moreover, I do not believe that any one of these groups can solve the problem on their own either. Like the holistic model of health used by many Aboriginal Peoples, the solution to youth suicide needs to be addressed using a balanced, comprehensive model to understand suicidal risk factors. As the African proverb goes, it takes a village to raise a child. We all must come together to find solutions.
Fortunately, there have been great strides in overcoming this epidemic since the announcement of NAYSPS four years ago. These include; an increase in suicide prevention programs that are being implemented at the community level; more support workers are being exposed to culturally relevant ways of treating Aboriginal youth in crisis; there is a more in depth look at promising suicide prevention strategies; and new resources are being disseminated to communities using the Internet and new technology.
The message that Arnold carries is one of great hope and must not be ignored any longer. Aboriginal Peoples across Canada must not only strive, but they must thrive. The loss of a youth to suicide was unacceptable in the past, is unacceptable now, and will certainly be unacceptable in the future. These youth deserve to live in a country where their lives are recognized as important and invaluable to Canadian society. Every youth deserves a voice- let us not be the ones who deny them that right.
For more information on Aboriginal youth suicide please visit
http://www.honouringlife.ca/ or email info@honouringlife.ca.
Ottawa, ON - Last night the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) showcased “Makkuktuuvunga, upimmavunga - I am young and I am proud,” the last installment of a three- part live, interactive television series about Inuit wellness issues.
Prior to the broadcast there were welcoming remarks and special presentations from Dr. Paulette C. Tremblay, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Aboriginal Health Organization and special guests:
