IQALUIT
The government of Nunavut's lack of action on suicide prevention was lambasted by well-known Nunavut politician Jack Anawak, who testified Sept. 23 at the chief coroner's inquest into the high rate of suicide in Iqaluit.

Anawak was critical throughout the course of his personal story and provided a historical overview and analysis of Inuit trauma and his observations on suicide, after listing the deaths of almost two dozen family members, friends and colleagues.

"I was fortunate to be able to work through my addiction and confront the problem by attending an Inuit-specific trauma program as the GN now tries to avoid sending people to, as it is too expensive," he said, adding, "cherry-picking what is cheap may not be helpful to us."

Anawak also touched on his 11 years of experience volunteering on the Kamatsiaqtut Help Line.

"I, like many, listened to countless others phoning in looking for support services in their community, telling their stories of disruption and loss, detailing their long struggle to go on living."

Yet, he said, "we have witnessed the Government of Nunavut make positive announcements to deal with suicide ... and never follow through on them."

There was a plan in 2007 called Annirusuktugut: A Suicide Intervention and Prevention Strategy for the government of Nunavut that no one talks about, he said.

And now, with the latest strategy officially expired and an independent evaluation saying there is a failure of implementation, Anawak is shocked.

"You can imagine my shock, my disbelief at the stunning lack of Government of Nunavut leadership across the board to get this strategy implemented," said Anawak, who is the NDP candidate for Nunavut in the Oct. 19 federal election.

He detailed some of the failures, including utilization of elders.

"No opportunity being created for them to teach the life-sustaining values," he said.

Piita Irniq is an old friend of Anawak - they went to residential school together in Churchill, Manitoba. He is a cultural and spiritual teacher who works with Inuit inmates in the south.

Although Irniq did not take part in the inquest, he agrees inmates are a high-risk group, as was noted at the inquest. Irniq says there have been three suicides in the last eight years since he has been working with Corrections.

He spoke to Nunavut News/North about the importance of Inuit history and values.

Irniq is very clear about the fact that suicide has never been a part of Inuit culture.

"When I was growing up in Naujaat in the 1950s and 60s, suicide was not in our terminology. It was never discussed because it was non-existent," he said.

"When my father did tell a story or two about 'suicide,' it was something that happened a long time ago. When Inuit became very old they would go out to the land when they were no longer useful to the society, so there would be more for young people. This is basically because life was extremely hard. When they did suicide, it was very infrequent, but they did that because it was caring and love and compassion for the younger generation of people."

It was not until school in Churchill, in 1968, that the first suicide - in modern terms - occurred, Irniq remembers, involving a student named Rene Novak. Then he remembers Jack Anawak's younger brother, Paul Anawak, in 1976. He also remembers that around 1979, suicide started being a more frequent occurrence.

"That's what I know about suicide, and mostly among Inuit youth," said Irniq, adding what's troubling for older Inuit of today is "how else can we make life easier, how else can we end suicide among young people."

He says, "it has to end, it's never been an Inuit way of life."

Irniq suggests three solutions. "Somehow stopping drugs and alcohol in the communities in Nunavut."

He also suggests the government has to play a leadership role, "this government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, regional Inuit organizations and municipalities."

Finally he says, "there's a word we established about 25 years ago."

That word is sapiittut, meaning "those who never give up."

"We Inuit never give up. And we shouldn't. And we should have this as part of life now because it's important we play a larger role in preventing suicide among our young people in our communities so we have a better tomorrow for our children and our grandchildren."

Another term Irniq uses is inuuqatigiittiarniq, meaning "living with each other in peace, harmony and as good neighbors."

It is a consideration several Inuit, such as Shuvinai Mike, Anawak and Bernadette Dean of the Kivalliq Inuit Association have raised during this inquest, and Irniq mentions it, too - "Know where you come from, know where you are, know where you are going."

Dean testified on the importance of on-the-land camps with elders and youth. Not only are those essential Inuit values of strength, patience and perseverance shared with the younger generation, but the learning and mastery of traditional skills help create a foundation of self-esteem based in Inuit culture and identity.

Cuts to federal Inuit-specific funding have made such camps more difficult to put on every year, but Dean testified about several experiences she has witnessed of lives turned around.

During one such story, she wept. In the Iqaluit courtroom, everyone held their breath.

Dean was able to continue and finish the story of a young teen who had lost his father to suicide. He lay on the ground while elders said to others not to touch him, to just let him grieve.

"They encouraged him to grieve. I see him today and I am always grateful. He is a capable young man, he has a family, he hunts, he owns his own house," she said.

These are the values Anawak talked about on the stand. He suggested that elders should be in the classrooms teaching "these life-sustaining values" and "telling the great stories of overcoming challenge and adversity, how to interact with others, how to get through hard times, how to be in a relationship and how to live a safe and productive life."

Anawak, like the expert witnesses, listed several recommendations for the jury of six to consider during their deliberations scheduled for Sept. 25.

"This shocking non-involvement and disinterest on the part of those charged with the responsibility for dealing with and implementing the actions and tasks embedded within the strategy is unbelievable and deserves a thorough investigation or inquiry of its own," said Anawak.

"I would say this no matter whose ethnic group was suffering. We have a deep ongoing responsibility to care, to be our brother's and our sister's keeper, to do due diligence and act in a consistently ethical manner.

He said, "We must get back on track a very desperate situation, rather than turning our back and ignoring it."

What is agreed upon by the experts, Inuit and GN staff who have testified at the inquest is that suicide prevention requires responsibility, accountability and funding.

However, no one testifying at the inquest was able to point to a single dollar outrightly attached to the suicide prevention strategy or to any changes in suicide deaths and attempts at suicide.

"We need to clear out the dead wood in this government," said Anawak.

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