Once the first tears of betrayal started, they have never stopped, they have flown like a river through out time, touching many generations,and yet the river flows on,the betrayal and lies that were told are now a part of our people's culture.
And practiced to perfection as many of our people perish, our young people are being lost in the river, as the tears of generations touch their young souls, and they try to escape by embracing those things that have destroyed our people from the beginning.
Our elders are being robbed once again and left alone, as famlies and friends run after things that they were taught would make them happy, only to be left with empty memories that remind them, nothing replaces love and family, and the things we valued; love, wisdom, understanding and respect , holding our elders in high regard, and looking out for those that need a helping hand, and most of all being the people the Great Spirit meant for us to be, leaders of what is true and right, showing the way by example and leading others to follow.
These are the things that made us who we are, and are woven in our hearts and forever eteched in our spirits,paid by the blood and the tears of our chiefs and elders and the lives of our people who were here before us. May we forever honor their memory by doing what is right and speaking what is true, so that can we finish our journey here on this earth, and be able to come before the Great Spirit with clean hearts and hands.
I waited patiently for the LORD;
and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of a horrible pit,
out of the miry clay,and set my feet upon a rock,and established my goings.
out of the miry clay,and set my feet upon a rock,and established my goings.
And he hath put a new song in my mouth,
even praise unto our God:many shall see it, and fear,and shall trust in the LORD.
even praise unto our God:many shall see it, and fear,and shall trust in the LORD.
Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust,
and respecteth not the proud,nor such as turn aside to lies.
and respecteth not the proud,nor such as turn aside to lies.
Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done,
and thy thoughts which are to us-ward:they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee:if I would declare and speak of them,they are more than can be numbered.
Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire;
mine ears hast thou opened:burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
mine ears hast thou opened:burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come:
in the volume of the book it is written of me
in the volume of the book it is written of me
I delight to do thy will, O my God:
yea, thy law is within my heart.
yea, thy law is within my heart.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregation:
lo, I have not refrained my lips,O LORD, thou knowest.
lo, I have not refrained my lips,O LORD, thou knowest.
I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart;
I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation:I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truthfrom the great congregation.
I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation:I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truthfrom the great congregation.
Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD:
let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.
For innumerable evils have compassed me about:
mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up;they are more than the hairs of mine head:therefore my heart faileth me.
mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up;they are more than the hairs of mine head:therefore my heart faileth me.
Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me:
O LORD, make haste to help me.
O LORD, make haste to help me.
Let them be ashamed and confounded together
that seek after my soul to destroy it;let them be driven backward and put to shamethat wish me evil.
that seek after my soul to destroy it;let them be driven backward and put to shamethat wish me evil.
Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame
that say unto me, Aha, aha.
that say unto me, Aha, aha.
Let all those that seek thee
rejoice and be glad in thee:let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
rejoice and be glad in thee:let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
But I am poor and needy;
yet the Lord thinketh upon me:thou art my help and my deliverer;make no tarrying, O my God.
yet the Lord thinketh upon me:thou art my help and my deliverer;make no tarrying, O my God.
Native Americans today face many different issues. Some are old, some are new and some are on-going
The negative stereotyping, that began so long ago is still prevalent today and serves as an effective vehicle for discrimination and prejudice that inevitably leads to exploitation. Such wrong attitudes and unfair actions can be prevented or changed and corrected only through education. And a hands on approach.
Although the government and people of the United States express outrage at oppression and abuse of indigenous people in other countries, Native Americans continue to be a dispossessed and disenfranchised minority in their own land.
Third-world living conditions are typical of most reservation communities. Poor health care, miserable poverty and substandard education are a daily fact of life for most American Indians. The top 5 causes of death among native people are alcohol related, and more native teens commit suicide than any other racial group. Native Americans also have a higher infant mortality rate.
Although the federal government spends over $3 billion annually on Indian programs forfederally recognized Native Nations, estimates indicate that only ten cents in every dollar actually reaches those desperately in need.
Alcohol among Native Americans
Introduced in the early days of contact between Native Americans and European visitors, alcohol became a permanent resident in a fleeting way of life for an age-old culture.
Alcohol found its way to the Native American population of North America during early contacts between Native people and European visitors, traders and explorers who, for whatever reasons, were eager to share their intoxicating drink. And, like many other so-called civilizing influences, alcohol altered the Native American existence, culture, and way of life for many years even yet to come.
It is theorized that traders wishing to gain the upper hand in their dealings introduced alcohol, because of its effects on Native thoughts and reasoning. And, when alcohol became an expected part of trading events, Europeans often came out with the lion's share of traded goods. It wasn't long before Native Americans began to lose their hold on an age-old cherished culture, losing more and more of themselves in the process. Though alcohol was not the only factor in the declining culture, it certainly posed a significant part of the process.
Alcohol, with its addictions for the unsuspecting Natives, allowed warriors to be cheated, slaughtered, or both, all for their coveted furs. And, like the "white man's" diseases, alcohol demanded a heavy toll. Countless Natives lost their lives to alcohol and its effects, some of them spinning out of control in a downward spiral that lasted years. Alcohol became an anesthetic, numbing the heart and soul of a people who had lost their hold on a way of life that would never again be able to sustain them.
It is theorized that traders wishing to gain the upper hand in their dealings introduced alcohol, because of its effects on Native thoughts and reasoning. And, when alcohol became an expected part of trading events, Europeans often came out with the lion's share of traded goods. It wasn't long before Native Americans began to lose their hold on an age-old cherished culture, losing more and more of themselves in the process. Though alcohol was not the only factor in the declining culture, it certainly posed a significant part of the process.
Alcohol, with its addictions for the unsuspecting Natives, allowed warriors to be cheated, slaughtered, or both, all for their coveted furs. And, like the "white man's" diseases, alcohol demanded a heavy toll. Countless Natives lost their lives to alcohol and its effects, some of them spinning out of control in a downward spiral that lasted years. Alcohol became an anesthetic, numbing the heart and soul of a people who had lost their hold on a way of life that would never again be able to sustain them.
But the price of alcohol continues to be felt in today's Native American culture and everyday life. As more and more of the Native culture and heritage became lost in the modernizing effects of European colonization, many Native Americans found themselves caught in limbo between two worlds. The cultural way of life of the past was gone, but the Natives were not accepted as equal members of the new white society, either. Native Americans were forced to totally assimilate into the culture that was new, foreign and intolerable for them. If they failed to do so, they were considered as little more than objects to be placed somewhere "out of sight," so that the rest of the world could go on its modernizing journey. With little to do, and no place to call home but reservations mandated by government, many Natives turned to alcohol to numb the devastating effects of losing their identity.
As generation followed generation, and more of the culture and identity of the past was lost, newer generations of the Native population eventually found alcohol to be their only salvation. With no strong cultural heritage to lead them, and a continued lack of acceptance out in the world at large, there has been little else left them. Even if they could go back to the days of hunting buffalo and living off the land, where are the buffalo today, and what's become of the vast land that was once their cherished home?
Many Native Americans have gone on to build hopeful and positive lives for themselves, some deeply entrenched in the "white man's" world, and others regaining their hold on their culture and heritage. Life is not so bleak for many. Still, alcohol has kept its hold on others, choking out a hopeful view of any kind of a positive future.
As generation followed generation, and more of the culture and identity of the past was lost, newer generations of the Native population eventually found alcohol to be their only salvation. With no strong cultural heritage to lead them, and a continued lack of acceptance out in the world at large, there has been little else left them. Even if they could go back to the days of hunting buffalo and living off the land, where are the buffalo today, and what's become of the vast land that was once their cherished home?
Many Native Americans have gone on to build hopeful and positive lives for themselves, some deeply entrenched in the "white man's" world, and others regaining their hold on their culture and heritage. Life is not so bleak for many. Still, alcohol has kept its hold on others, choking out a hopeful view of any kind of a positive future.
Many changes and improvements still need to be made, to enable Native Americans the opportunity to regain their culture and heritage. But much that was lost will be lost forever, as a way of life has been lost and can never be fully regained. In reinventing themselves, reviving their culture and remembering the old ways, there is still a great need for alcohol treatment programs. But even these, alone, won't do the trick. Programs addressing other Native needs, such as employment, housing, etc., can only help re-build the Native structure, and fight the deeply felt hold of alcohol and its effects.
No one of us can ever go back to the past, but we can all work in positive ways to accept and respect other cultures, and to find ourselves in a culture and a heritage that is ours.
Alcohol, like many other detrimental elements in our society, need not gain the upper hand. And placing blame will not regain what was lost, nor will it ease the path to a better future. What was done in years gone by need not continue its devastating effects.
Finding, believing in, and respecting culture and heritage is a positive first step toward a more hopeful future for all of us.
No one of us can ever go back to the past, but we can all work in positive ways to accept and respect other cultures, and to find ourselves in a culture and a heritage that is ours.
Alcohol, like many other detrimental elements in our society, need not gain the upper hand. And placing blame will not regain what was lost, nor will it ease the path to a better future. What was done in years gone by need not continue its devastating effects.
Finding, believing in, and respecting culture and heritage is a positive first step toward a more hopeful future for all of us.
SUICIDE AMONG NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATIONS
In the late 1960’s “Our Brothers Keeper” was published. This book by Felix Cohen detailed not only the many social injustices endured by Native Americans, at that time; but also referenced the many social indices which daily affect and define the lives of Native Americans living in the United States. Using Census 1960 data, the book referenced suicide rates of some Native American communities as being more then 10 times the national average. Today, in 2005, suicide rates among Native Americans are still tragic, and appear “out of control”. In reality, nothing overall has changed in the last 45 years.
Administrators from the U. S. Public Health Service, Division of Indian Health Service, numerous officials from state agencies, Native American community leaders, and researchers from various colleges and universities have collaborated in various forums in the United States and Canada to address the issue of excessive suicide in Native American communities. A myriad of exacerbating factors have made analysis difficult. Most researchers have been hesitant to point to any one particular causal factor, as being the primary cause behind the high rate of suicide among Native Americans. Alcohol consumption has long been . a major contributing factor, and it is true that alcohol abuse does have a significant relationship with many victims. Depression, family violence, unemployment, peer relationships, poverty, and poor identity and self image have all been referenced as contributing to the high suicide rates affecting Native American populations, both rural and urban. Many of the factors which have been identified as having an influence on suicide derive from the dependency relationship that exists between Native American tribes and communities and the overall dominant societies of the United States and Canada.
It is my belief that the primary underlying causal factor affecting higher then average rates of suicide for many Native American communities may not only be simple, but may be a matter of even greater cause for concern. Research in the area of mental health is very sporadic and virtually non-existent for most Native American communities in the United States and Canada. The psycho-social legacy of colonialism, and its long-term negative effects on mental health has been virtually ignored by researchers in both the United States and Canada. Almost all research on this topic references the nature of the social indices which affect most Native Americans; yet fails to mention that these very same social indices, like suicide, are symptoms of the relationship which exists between Native American tribes and the governments of the United States and Canada. It is my belief that suicide, in this context is caused by the "psycho-biological" or mental disorders which have developed as a direct result of the historical relationship which exists between Native Americans and the governments of the United States and Canada. In point of fact, Native American tribes and individuals have been subjected to almost every heinous atrocity and form of subjugation known to man, at some point or another. Concentration camps, prisons, torture, the political assassination of leaders, biological warfare, hangings, firing squads, artillery bombardments, mass murder, starvation, disease, removal of our children, deprivation of our language and religious beliefs, deceit and lies, political and economic disenfranchisement, and numerous other forms of coercion have been used against Native Americans to forcefully bring about their docility and assimilation into the mainstream societies of the United States and Canada. This has resulted in a tragic mental health legacy that has been referred to by two researchers as "historical unresolved grief", and been described as "the American Indian Holocaust". They point out that the social ills which currently affect Native Americans are "primarily the product of a legacy of chronic trauma and unresolved grief across generations". We know that an abusive relationship on an individual level can lead to brain chemistry changes in the abused party. The severity, nature, and duration of the abuse all have direct bearings on the type of "disorder" which will develop. I believe that this same process works on a larger scale when indigenous cultures are subordinate to dominant western cultures. Franz Fanon, a black psychologist, wrote about the psychological effects of colonialism in his books, "Wretched of the Earth", “Colonialism”, and "Black Skins, White Masks". In particular, Dr. Fanon was adamant that we would continue to see signs and indications of mental distress in indigenous populations even after independence and nationalism were achieved.
One particular mood disorder, which I believe may be highly culpable, manic-depression or bi-polar disorder affects about 1% to 3% of the U. S. population at any one point in time, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. According to references on the inter-net, more the 50% of individuals diagnosed with bi-polar I and bi-polar II talk or act out about suicide. At least 10% eventually commit suicide, successfully. The exact rate of bi-polar in Native American communities is unknown at this time. According to mental health professionals (both Native American and non-Native American) working in Alaska and the contiguous lower 48 states, it appears that the rate of bi-polar and related personality disorders may be substantially higher among Native American populations.
A number of aspects of bi-polar make it particularly disturbing. Bi-polar is genetic; it runs in families. It is hard to diagnose, particularly in rural settings or isolated communities. A bi-polar episode may be triggered by use of alcohol; use of non- prescription drugs, such as cocaine, crack, meth-amphetamine, etc.; use of certain prescription medications, especially those used to treat depression; dehydration; poor diet; emotional stress; and physical tiredness. Any of these factors by themselves are capable of causing a person who has an underlying mood disorder to have an episode. When several of these “triggering factors” are present, the likelihood of an episode is increased. Episodes may be mild or acute. When dealing with bi-polar the nature of an episode may be manic, depressive, or mixed. An acute episode may have behavior which may be aberrant, psychotic, or suicidal.
Almost all Native American populations are resistant to psychological testing. Community mental health facilities are virtually nonexistent for most Native American communities in the United States and Canada. In larger communities or large reservations, both individual and societal defense mechanisms often work to resist and prevent clinical intervention, except in extreme circumstances, often too late. Bi-polar is difficult to diagnose, even in a clinical setting. It can be particularly difficult to diagnose among teens, except in severe or acute cases. None-the-less, networking and anecdotal experiences tend to present an alarming view, much like seeing only the tip of an ice-burg. It has been suggested by some mental health practitioners that the rate of personality disorders among some Native American populations may effect up to one out of four individuals. Whether these suspected high rates derive from historical trauma and grief, dependency (the relationship between dominant and subordinate cultural groups), or generational genetic effects of FAS or FAE is unknown. What we are now seeing in some reservation schools are classrooms where up to up to 50% of the students are suspected of having attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD) ( 7% is average). We now know that there is a high correlation between ADD/ADHD and the later development and of mood disorders. Diagnostic intervention of mood disorders can be further complicated by high degrees of behavioral imprinting in affected families and communities, so that even genetic testing to identify individuals at risk would only be partially effective.
The correlation between bi-polar disorders and suicide is linear and irrefutable; thus if the rate of bi-polar disorder in a community goes up, then consequently the rate of suicide will go up, correspondingly. If the rate of bi-polar disorders in a Native American community or reservation is several times higher then the national average; then as a direct consequence the rate of suicide will be at least several times higher as well. It should be noted that bi-polar is a convenient label from the DSM IV, which contains many of the relevant symptoms that are often see in our Native American populations. The application of this label to all Native Americans, who technically may exhibit many of these symptoms though, may be suspect, that is, what we see in Native American populations may be a different type of bi-polar disorder all together, then the bi-polar disorder described in the DSM IV. I believe that it would be only fair to argue that this may be a unique disorder brought about by historical unresolved grief and the dominant/subordinate relationship which exists in developed nations, affecting disenfranchised indigenous populations. Like bi-polar, there are differences in severity, and the number of episodes affecting the individual. However, I do believe that the suicide relationship is none-the-less consistent, as I have described.
Personality disorders are genetically complex, and cannot yet be identified physiologically, for example by a blood test or brain scan. Therefore diagnoses are made on the basis of symptoms, course of illness, and family history. As has already been mentioned, this data base is non-existent for most Native American families and communities. It should also be noted that an inordinately high percentage of bi-polar and related disorders affecting Native Americans, not only provides an explanation for disproportionate rates of suicide; it may also explain the high rates of recidivism for Native Americans in alcohol and drug treatment programs, disproportionate numbers of Native American children in state foster care systems, high rates of domestic violence in Native American communities, the disproportionate numbers of Native Americans in incarceration, the episodal nature of many random acts of violence, as well as influencing other social indices such as secondary and higher education retention rates, per capita income, et cetra.
Is there an answer or solution to reversing these psycho-social and mental health effects of colonialism, dependency, and cultural genocide? Cultural programs and reinforcing traditional values and spiritual belief systems, or even an adherence to Christian doctrine, can bring about feelings of physical and spiritual well being; and thus alleviate symptoms of depression, identity, and poor self esteem. Community recreation programs, economic opportunities, and continuing education can make Native American communities nicer places to live. Parenting classes and school and tribal outreach programs can make positive changes in families and home environments. It may be imperative that mental health, in all aspects, becomes the number one priority in “Indian Country”. I believe, like Franz Fanon, that the psychological effects of colonialism will continue; despite the best token efforts of the dominant group to implement positive social intervention strategies in indigenous populations. Unless the social intervention strategy, that an organization or nation develops, addresses the multiple dimensions and aspects of dependency, i.e., political, economic, and psycho-social; how can the strategy possibly be effective?
f suicide intervention strategies are targeted at exacerbating factors such as substance abuse problems, poor parenting, depression, poor academic performance, environmental factors, et cetra, rather than addressing the overall dependency relationship; then needless to say, that the intervention strategy may not be effective, in eliminating the primary causal factor.
Developing our sense of spirituality, education at all levels, and community awareness, among other things, can provide a beginning to reversing some of the effects of this psycho-social dimension of dependency. Yet, without a true understanding of the insidiousness of dependency and the exact way that it effects the mental health of Native American communities I do not believe that parity can be achieved. I do not believe that "medication" or clinical confinement are part of the answer either. Hopefully, we can all help to be a part of the solution, and not a part of the problem.
Developing our sense of spirituality, education at all levels, and community awareness, among other things, can provide a beginning to reversing some of the effects of this psycho-social dimension of dependency. Yet, without a true understanding of the insidiousness of dependency and the exact way that it effects the mental health of Native American communities I do not believe that parity can be achieved. I do not believe that "medication" or clinical confinement are part of the answer either. Hopefully, we can all help to be a part of the solution, and not a part of the problem.
SUICIDE AMONG NATIVE AMERICAN POPULATIONS
By: Charles W. Lone Wolf, Sr. (Kiowa)
By: Charles W. Lone Wolf, Sr. (Kiowa)
Ontario native suicide rate one of highest in world, expert saysBy Louise Elliott, Candian Press,
Tuesday 27 November 2000 5:25:02 EST
Tuesday 27 November 2000 5:25:02 EST
PIKANGIKUM, Ont. (CP) - A rash of suicides on this remote Ojibwa reserve is a disaster that may earn the community the dubious distinction of having the highest suicide rate in the world, says an international expert on aboriginal suicide.
Less than a week after issuing a scathing criticism of the Canadian government for its treatment of Labrador's Innu, British sociologist Colin Samson said Pikangikum First Nation's suicide numbers are through the roof, even surpassing the rates in Davis Inlet and Sheshatshiu.
In Pikangikum, eight females - five of them 13 years old - have killed themselves this year.
A November 1999 report co-authored by Samson for Survival International, a U.K.-based watchdog, called for immediate government action after it found an Innu suicide rate of 178 per 100,000 people between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s.
That's the highest documented rate in the world, says the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of Suicidology.
But Pikangikum, a community of 2,000 people 300 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, has an eight-year average of 213 suicides per 100,000 people between 1992 and 2000, and a nine-year average of 205 suicides per 100,000 people in the period between 1991 and this month, two independent Canadian experts said this week.
The latest Pikangikum suicides has sent this year's rate soaring to 470 deaths per 100,000.
That's 36 times the national average of 13 per 100,000, and in a city of three million people, would mean 14,100 deaths this year.
Less than a week after issuing a scathing criticism of the Canadian government for its treatment of Labrador's Innu, British sociologist Colin Samson said Pikangikum First Nation's suicide numbers are through the roof, even surpassing the rates in Davis Inlet and Sheshatshiu.
In Pikangikum, eight females - five of them 13 years old - have killed themselves this year.
A November 1999 report co-authored by Samson for Survival International, a U.K.-based watchdog, called for immediate government action after it found an Innu suicide rate of 178 per 100,000 people between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s.
That's the highest documented rate in the world, says the Washington, D.C.-based American Association of Suicidology.
But Pikangikum, a community of 2,000 people 300 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, has an eight-year average of 213 suicides per 100,000 people between 1992 and 2000, and a nine-year average of 205 suicides per 100,000 people in the period between 1991 and this month, two independent Canadian experts said this week.
The latest Pikangikum suicides has sent this year's rate soaring to 470 deaths per 100,000.
That's 36 times the national average of 13 per 100,000, and in a city of three million people, would mean 14,100 deaths this year.
Michael Kral, a national expert on suicide who teaches psychology at the University of Windsor, calculated the nine-year average based on data from Health Canada, the department responsible for native health care.
At this point it's off the scale, he said, adding the impact of suicide on the community has beenhorrendous.
Suicide is like a person - a spirit, says Kevin Suggashie, 28, who once tried to take his own life. Now he helps organize Pikangikum's nightly youth patrol.
I don't think there's ever going to be a time when there's not going to be suicides here, he said.
The existence of the patrol is a grim testament to how entrenched suicide has become in Pikangikum culture; it is also, for many youth who have tried suicide, the thin line of hope between themselves and despair.
Since 1995, young volunteers have scoured the community almost every night trying to stop the dying. They also target the huddles of gas-sniffers whose spine-chilling howls permeate the community at night, but the young addicts often scatter into the darkness before patrollers can reach them.
At peak suicide times like this summer and fall, there's an attempt or two every night, and now, in mid-November, the attempts are down to a few a week, Suggashie says.
The problem, while worst in Pikangikum, is region-wide.
At this point it's off the scale, he said, adding the impact of suicide on the community has beenhorrendous.
Suicide is like a person - a spirit, says Kevin Suggashie, 28, who once tried to take his own life. Now he helps organize Pikangikum's nightly youth patrol.
I don't think there's ever going to be a time when there's not going to be suicides here, he said.
The existence of the patrol is a grim testament to how entrenched suicide has become in Pikangikum culture; it is also, for many youth who have tried suicide, the thin line of hope between themselves and despair.
Since 1995, young volunteers have scoured the community almost every night trying to stop the dying. They also target the huddles of gas-sniffers whose spine-chilling howls permeate the community at night, but the young addicts often scatter into the darkness before patrollers can reach them.
At peak suicide times like this summer and fall, there's an attempt or two every night, and now, in mid-November, the attempts are down to a few a week, Suggashie says.
The problem, while worst in Pikangikum, is region-wide.
On Monday, another 13-year-old girl took her life in Summer Beaver, a reserve 300 kilometres east of Pikangikum, bringing the total suicides on northern Ontario reserves this year to 25.
This is the worst year on record (for suicide), said Arnold Devlin, of Dilico Child and Family Services in Thunder Bay.
The Pikangikum youth patrol, which receives no funding, can't begin to address the problem. The community has only three mental-health workers - one of them part-time
It's very very difficult, says band councillor Sam Quill, 62, his eyes welling with tears.
Quill, who recalls Pikangikum's first rash of youth hangings in 1993 and 1994, saw his daughter and granddaughter take their lives this fall.
Suicide and gas-sniffing among aboriginal youth has made headlines recently after Innu leaders in Sheshatshiu asked government social workers to remove gas-addicted children from the community.
A massive rise in female suicides on Ontario reserves- all eight Pikangikum deaths this year were female, five of them 13 years old - is a sign that the problem is getting much worse, say regional mental health workers.
When young women who are the bearers of life start to kill themselves, it's a real reflection on the health of the community, said Devlin.
Devlin, who calculated Pikangikum's eight-year average suicide rate at 213 per 100,000 people, said the increase in female suicide is related to Third World conditions now prevalent on Canadian reserves like Pikangikum.
Recent studies on aboriginal female suicide link them to the lack of necessities of good health - such as education and clean water - which Pikangikum doesn't have, he said.
An oil leak in Pikangikum's water treatment plant Oct. 3 left the entire community without drinking water. Last March, another oil leak was discovered in the crawl space at the community's only school.
The school has been closed ever since, and was due to open this month. That date's now been pushed back because the community does not have adequate electricity to operate the machinery to fix the school, leaders said.
Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault visited the community Oct. 11, when it was estimated the water problem would be resolved within six to eight weeks, community leaders said.
But Chief Peter Quill and Indian Affairs spokeswoman Nancy Pine said that date's been pushed back indefinitely.
Meanwhile, drinking water shipments flown in by Indian Affairs since Oct. 5 have been erratic due to bad weather; many people are drinking untreated lake water, also known to be contaminated, or buying their water at the local store for $5.99 for a four-litre jug.
Pine said the minister addressed the suicide epidemic by asking band leaders for a proposal for a community recreation facility, and added he advised the community to apply for funding from other federal and provincial departments.
In September, Nault said the suicides in Pikangikum were under the purview of Health Canada, not Indian Affair
This is the worst year on record (for suicide), said Arnold Devlin, of Dilico Child and Family Services in Thunder Bay.
The Pikangikum youth patrol, which receives no funding, can't begin to address the problem. The community has only three mental-health workers - one of them part-time
It's very very difficult, says band councillor Sam Quill, 62, his eyes welling with tears.
Quill, who recalls Pikangikum's first rash of youth hangings in 1993 and 1994, saw his daughter and granddaughter take their lives this fall.
Suicide and gas-sniffing among aboriginal youth has made headlines recently after Innu leaders in Sheshatshiu asked government social workers to remove gas-addicted children from the community.
A massive rise in female suicides on Ontario reserves- all eight Pikangikum deaths this year were female, five of them 13 years old - is a sign that the problem is getting much worse, say regional mental health workers.
When young women who are the bearers of life start to kill themselves, it's a real reflection on the health of the community, said Devlin.
Devlin, who calculated Pikangikum's eight-year average suicide rate at 213 per 100,000 people, said the increase in female suicide is related to Third World conditions now prevalent on Canadian reserves like Pikangikum.
Recent studies on aboriginal female suicide link them to the lack of necessities of good health - such as education and clean water - which Pikangikum doesn't have, he said.
An oil leak in Pikangikum's water treatment plant Oct. 3 left the entire community without drinking water. Last March, another oil leak was discovered in the crawl space at the community's only school.
The school has been closed ever since, and was due to open this month. That date's now been pushed back because the community does not have adequate electricity to operate the machinery to fix the school, leaders said.
Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault visited the community Oct. 11, when it was estimated the water problem would be resolved within six to eight weeks, community leaders said.
But Chief Peter Quill and Indian Affairs spokeswoman Nancy Pine said that date's been pushed back indefinitely.
Meanwhile, drinking water shipments flown in by Indian Affairs since Oct. 5 have been erratic due to bad weather; many people are drinking untreated lake water, also known to be contaminated, or buying their water at the local store for $5.99 for a four-litre jug.
Pine said the minister addressed the suicide epidemic by asking band leaders for a proposal for a community recreation facility, and added he advised the community to apply for funding from other federal and provincial departments.
In September, Nault said the suicides in Pikangikum were under the purview of Health Canada, not Indian Affair
James Adams, regional director of Health Canada's First Nations and Inuit Health Branch - the branch currently under internal review in connection with a fraud investigation at a Manitoba treatment centre - was unavailable for comment Monday.
Stan Beardy, the grand chief of Nishnawbe-Aski Nation, says he's not surprised Pikangikum's suicide rate ranks among the highest in the world.
Something is very drastically wrong there, he said.
In the world, Canada always portrays itself as No. 1 for quality of life and health. But at the reserve level, it's 62nd - it's Third World conditions.
To Samson of Survival International, government inaction in Pikangikum is just one more sign Canada's unfathomable disregard for native health.
There is a massive cultural denial in Canada (on native health) that extends to the highest level, he said during a visit to Sheshatshiu last week.
In all my dealings with the Canadian government over the last seven years, I've been met with a stony silence.
© The Canadian Press, 2000
Stan Beardy, the grand chief of Nishnawbe-Aski Nation, says he's not surprised Pikangikum's suicide rate ranks among the highest in the world.
Something is very drastically wrong there, he said.
In the world, Canada always portrays itself as No. 1 for quality of life and health. But at the reserve level, it's 62nd - it's Third World conditions.
To Samson of Survival International, government inaction in Pikangikum is just one more sign Canada's unfathomable disregard for native health.
There is a massive cultural denial in Canada (on native health) that extends to the highest level, he said during a visit to Sheshatshiu last week.
In all my dealings with the Canadian government over the last seven years, I've been met with a stony silence.
© The Canadian Press, 2000
LOST SOULS - DEATH OF OUR YOUTH
The gangs are exploiting poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunity among Native people who live on and off reserves. They are going after youth and women, according to one expert, who said Native gang violence has reached "epidemic levels" in some areas.
Currently, on and off reservations in Native communities, many youth turn to gangs because of broken families, lack of positive role models, no place for creative expression, and outlets for their energy.
On Indian Reservations and concentrated urban areas all across the US and Canada there are high rates of alcoholism, drug abuse, and violence.
The enormous rate of alcohol and substance abuse takes the lives of too many of our young and old alike.
Gangs and violence on the reservations are mirrors of cities such as Los Angeles, Brooklyn, NYC, and Chicago with incidents as brutal as that on streets of these big urban areas.
This is very evident by simply driving through any Rez Town, or urban area USA or Canada. Upon looking out your window you can take notice of poor living conditions, the lack of basic necessities/ infrastructure, and the feeling of despair and uncertainty.
There are many issues that need to be addressed on the reservation on a day-to-day basis, but the focus of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Gang Awareness focuses on the risk of “at risk” youth who have drug problems or are involved with gang lifestyles.
Other programs of this sort are normally run by federal and state institutions, often many times leaving the communities disempowered, disregarding local knowledge and traditional values.
The enormous rate of alcohol and substance abuse takes the lives of too many of our young and old alike.
Gangs and violence on the reservations are mirrors of cities such as Los Angeles, Brooklyn, NYC, and Chicago with incidents as brutal as that on streets of these big urban areas.
This is very evident by simply driving through any Rez Town, or urban area USA or Canada. Upon looking out your window you can take notice of poor living conditions, the lack of basic necessities/ infrastructure, and the feeling of despair and uncertainty.
There are many issues that need to be addressed on the reservation on a day-to-day basis, but the focus of the Substance Abuse Prevention and Gang Awareness focuses on the risk of “at risk” youth who have drug problems or are involved with gang lifestyles.
Other programs of this sort are normally run by federal and state institutions, often many times leaving the communities disempowered, disregarding local knowledge and traditional values.
the native way of life is not violent. "Natives killing natives. They don't represent us in any way as First Nations people,"
The frog does not drink up the pond in which he lives
Those who have one foot in the canoe, and one foot in the boat, are going to fall into the river
Tuscarora
