Kerry McCluskey & Maria Canton
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Mar 20/00) - Just last week, the second of two funerals was held for residents of Nunavut who ended their own lives. Both people lived in Kugluktuk.

Suicide prevention There are three ways of stopping suicide. 1. Prevention means: not letting suicide happen in the first place. This involves keeping a healthy mental, physical, emotional aCnd spiritual outlook on life and teaching others how to achieve this healthy outlook. 2. Intervention means: both stopping someone who shows signs of suicidal thinking from getting to the point where s/he wants to commit suicide and actually stopping someone from committing suicide. This involves knowing: - How to recognize suicidal persons. - How to determine if they are high risk individuals in need of immediate help. - What to do to stop them from killing themselves. - Who to get to help you in stopping them. 3. Post-vention means: - Looking after those who have attempted suicide and survived. Women usually attempt suicide more often than men, but more men kill themselves than women. - Looking after the friends and family of those who must survive after someone has committed suicide. Source: Peer Counselling

Left reeling by the tragedy, and by several other recently attempted suicides in the community, survivors in the hamlet are left with tremendous pain and unanswered questions.

Statistics show that people who have been touched by suicide, by a loved friend or family member, are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide themselves.

Thus it is extremely important that prevention workers begin to offer the support survivors need immediately.

That counselling, called post-vention, has already started in Kugluktuk.

But, that kind of after-care necessarily needs to be accompanied by prevention and intervention work at the community level.

For many years, proposed solutions to the suicide crisis were imposed upon Inuit communities by agencies from the south. They were not culturally relevant and may have done more harm than good.

Today, however, that is beginning to change. Most communities in Nunavut have community-run strategies and programs in place that are helping to reduce the numbers of people who choose to kill themselves.

This is the last of a three-part series that has looked at the issue of suicide in Nunavut.

To wrap up on an optimistic note by showing that progress is being made, a summary of some of those community initiatives follows.

If your community is not mentioned and you are looking for more information, or if you feel you are at risk of committing suicide, contact your local wellness counsellor, the RCMP, someone at your Health Centre or talk to someone close to you. It is crucial that you realize you are not alone.

Kugluktuk

The suicide workshop was planned prior to the two recent suicides in Kugluktuk. It will still go ahead, providing what the community is desperately in need of.

"We need the workshop so we can develop suicide prevention programs in our own community," said Mayor Joanne Taptuna.

"We need to learn how to continue what we have and develop more -- we're inviting anyone in the community to come."

Caroline Anawak will be facilitating the five-day workshop that has two delegates from each Kitikmeot community attending.

Resolute Bay

RCMP Cpl. Lorne Adamitz believes the key to suicide prevention in Resolute Bay lies in keeping busy.

An extremely active community volunteer as well as a police officer, Adamitz said suicidal thinking begins when people have too much time on their hands.

"An idle mind and an idle body creates an environment for seeds of suicide to flourish," said Adamitz.

"Talking does help, but people also need outlets for their anger and frustration to be released," he said.

To that end, Adamitz is constantly on the go, organizing activities for community members.

"They're all geared for self-esteem and the answer lies in giving them alternatives to idle time without drugs and alcohol being involved."

Arctic Bay

Wellness counsellor Mary Tatatoapik said she was trying to put together healing circles for Arctic Bay residents to attend.

Responsible for providing alcohol, drug, family and sexual abuse counselling, Tatatoapik also works as the North Baffin hamlet's suicide prevention worker.

She said by attending the healing circles, people would begin to heal from the pain in their families that often leads to suicide.

That, she said, was particularly important for the youth in the community because many were at high risk.

"The younger people tend to feel withdrawn and they don't know why. It's because of the generational trauma that's gone before them," said Tatatoapik.

A high-risk youth workshop was also recently held to provide community members with the skills necessary to identify children in trouble.

For more information, contact Tatatoapik at the Health Centre.

Pond Inlet

The hamlet of Pond Inlet has been busy. Including a suicide prevention workshop held last month, which focused on self-healing and ways to identify high-risk and suicidal behaviour in others, prevention workers have begun to look to the older generations for help.

Billy Merkosak said they were starting to turn to people between the ages of 40-50.

"We're asking them to come forward and talk about their lives because they're affecting the generations of today," said Merkosak, a facilitator in the community.

He added that community members were getting the message out that they wanted to put an end to the crisis and be more vocal about suicide.

"It's more visible now," he said.

Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay)

Community members in Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay) will sit down next month and draw up a plan to tackle health and wellness issues, including suicide, in their hamlet.

After collecting a series of health-related statistics from residents over the last five months, former senior administrator Marla Limousin said they were ready to present their findings to the community.

Beginning the week of April 10, the community will be asked to attend the meetings so they can look at the numbers and decide where to go from there.

"We'll be talking generally, but the issues relate to suicide," said Limousin.

"The community will decide why the numbers are where they are and they'll define strategies to overcome the obstacles. Suicide is an obstacle to community health and wellness," she said.

The community will spend the week developing a firm action plan that is suited specifically to their own needs.

Baker Lake

Baker Lake's mental health specialist, Barb Mueller, said the increase in suicidal behaviour in the community had been countered with a great deal of preventative activities.

"We've had an upswing in suicide attempts, completed suicides and threats dating back to December of 1999," said Mueller.

"What we've done since is hold a community education night on suicide prevention, we went into the schools and did a suicide prevention workshop with high school and junior high kids and we've done suicide prevention workshops at Arctic College," said Mueller.

She also noted that an interagency group -- including herself, the RCMP, social services and the Health Centre -- had been formed and were hosting radio shows on topics related to suicide.

The fifth and final show will air tonight, March 20, in the community and will look at the role substance abuse plays in suicide.

Mueller said the interagency group will meet again on March 29 to decide on their plan of action.

She also noted that a suicide survivors group had been formed and planned to meet for the second time early in April.

"We've been busy, really busy," she said.

"We're titling all our stuff 'Suicide -- a secret that can be broken' because one of the things people say is don't tell anybody. So we say it is a secret that can be broken."

Kimmirut

Beatrice Ikkidluak says suicide hits communities in waves -- a cycle of highs and lows a community goes through.

"It's mostly like a cycle and if a community is going through that cycle, there should be people there to support the people," she said.

Ikkidluak and her husband used to hold healing circles once a month for anyone in Kimmirut who was going through rough times.

Presently in the community there are school counsellors, a crisis team and the Katiniit Committee -- all designed to combat problems before they get out of hand.

Phil Flin is the chair of the committee and he says it acts as a liaison with the community.

"We want to deal with the issue right away, in the classroom, before it can go anywhere," he said.

Cambridge Bay

The number of suicide attempts is down in Cambridge Bay, thanks in part to the tireless work of hamlet-run community wellness programs.

Everyone in the community is aware of the local Wellness Centre which offers a wealth of activities and opportunities for the people.

"I think our numbers are down because we offer a solid series of recreational programs and we have very strong addictions and family counselling services," said Sarath Chandrasekere, director of community wellness for the hamlet.

"We create opportunities for people and that in turn raises their self-esteem."

Chandrasekere also says the community has a very active and successful youth group that is always involved in positive initiatives.

"People in the community know we are available for them and they call us direct if they have any problems."

The number of attempts dropped from 47 between October '97 and May '98 to under 10 attempts between April '99 and March 2000.

Clyde River

The highly visible Ilisaqsivik Society in Clyde River has noticed a significant drop in suicides and attempts since they opened their doors three years ago.

"It's about allowing people to feel and know about their life issues, allowing people to come in for coffee and stay awhile."

The society holds fast to the ideas of having fun, having a sense of belonging, having freedom of choice and finding self-empowerment, either through therapy or even something as simple as finding a part-time job in the community.

"We realize how important it is for us to provide a place for people -- it's our vision for a healthy community," she said.

"There is no quick fix for suicide. It takes time to heal families, communities and the individuals at risk -- and we realize we have to provide a place for that to happen in."

Cape Dorset

More than 20 volunteers have come together to form a suicide prevention team in Cape Dorset.

And although the team is currently waiting to further their training, a protocol has been developed with the RCMP and the Health Centre in order to help those who are reaching out.

"Things are looking good right now. What we want to do is get the message out that there's help available, that people can come forward because we care and we want to help," said Cindy Parsons, director of social services.

Arviat

The Keewatin Health and Social Services Board is establishing a mental health presence in Arviat.

Richard Welch, who will be the co-ordinator as of April 1 and is a mental health worker, says both training and work at the schools is presently under way.

"We've been involved with the schools -- we have someone there half a day a week or more if required," said Welch.

"And the high school has two counsellors, one male and one female, who work very closely with the students."

Whale Cove

Two groups are actively involved and instrumental in helping to make Whale Cove a healthy community.

A successful wellness program operates a popular phone-in radio show and a church group meets with youth every Tuesday night to get people talking.

"The church group discusses suicide and depression and all things that young people are feeling -- it's a talking group," said Elizabeth Copeland, Nunavut's chief coroner.

"The radio show is about getting the public to open up and ask questions about how they are feeling or anything they want."

Copeland says residents are aware of the initiatives, and that the programs are working to achieve a healthy community.

"The programs are working and well-received by the youth," said Copeland.

"There is a group of people that community members know they can call anytime if they need help."

Qikiqtarjuaq

An active youth committee that operates a drop-in centre and organizes other activities helps keep local youth occupied.

A strong and active recreation department is another force that keeps people busy, active and happy.

The arena is busy many nights a week with all ages playing hockey and skating.

The idea behind providing multiple activities is to give the youth positive alternatives to choose from, rather than having boredom set in and manifest itself in criminal activities or substance abuse.

Iqaluit

Several choices for healing initiatives exist in the capital.

Youth groups, healing groups for women and men, trained counsellors and substance abuse programs can all be found.

Contact the Baffin Regional Hospital or the Department of Health for more information.

Many of the community's churches are also active, particularly in suicide prevention work. Speak to the local ministers for more information.

Const. Jimmy Akavak of the Iqaluit RCMP has been also been busy organizing suicide prevention activities. He can be reached through the local detachment.

An active suicide-prevention team by the name of Niviuqtiit also exists. Meaning 'protecting,' Niviuqtiit members are trained to do intervention, prevention and post-vention.

Most recently, the group held a phone-in television show on suicide.

Contact Geela Giroux for more information.

Chesterfield Inlet

The community of Chesterfield Inlet has a well- used drop-in centre that is attached to the church and priest's residence.

The Kivalliq community of 375 people also operates several nightly hockey programs and other games to keep youth busy with positive alternatives.

Sanikiluaq

Strong support groups and a very active recreation department keep Nunavut's most southerly community on the road to wellness.

A recently arrived psychiatric nurse says she is seeing a tremendous number of people.

"It's very positive that people are coming to me when they have problems," said Joan Hannah.

"People are seeking out help and that's a very important step."

Hannah has also recently started an anger management class with 14 Grade 9 boys in it -- a means of stopping problems before they can escalate.