Community action can prevent suicide

By NUNATSIAQ NEWS

I was reading the article on the in-depth research on suicide. I believe that everybody in Nunavut has been affected by suicide.

We here in Rankin inlet did a workshop in November of 2002, called “Bridging the Gap between Elders and Youth.” We had five completed suicides in the month of October of that year and I was concerned that it was just going to get worse if we in the community did not do anything.

I applied for funding through the Department of Health and was approved for the small cost of $10,000. I approached a number of elders in Rankin to be included in the workshop. They all agreed to attend. I also asked the youth if they wanted to be a part of it.

The initial numbers that I wanted scared the facilitator, who was from Yellowknife. She was concerned that 100 was too many — 50 youth and 50 elders. I assured her that there would be many people there to help out. We finally agreed to have 50 in total: 25 youth, 25 elders.

Eventually the numbers grew when community members heard what we were trying to do. The workshop was a huge success, in my opinion, as it gave both elders and the youth a perspective that they never had before. The youth learned about the hardships that the elders went through and survived. The elders learned that the youth have other worries besides what new video game they are going to play.

The workshop really did bridge the gap and I am very happy to say that we haven’t had any completed suicides since November of 2002. I hope that we do not experience any for many years to come. One suicide is too many.

I am one of those who has been left behind by three brothers and many, many cousins and close friends. I know how hard it is to get up and try and go through hard situations but as the elders always say, “Anigurumaamiyuq,” which means “it will pass” and things will get better. They are right. Things always seem to be too big to bear. Talk to friends, family or someone you respect.

The whole community is there to help and this is true of all communities in Nunavut. No one wants to lose a community member to suicide. If you are contemplating ending your own life think about what other people are going through.

I applaud those that are trying to fix this problem of suicide.

Louis Taparti
Rankin Inlet

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