NUNAVUT
An inquest into suicides in Nunavut, long promised by the Office of the Coroner, remains on standby, and the long wait is having negative effects on witnesses.

"Regarding suicide inquest: under investigation and no date set yet until completion of investigation," stated chief coroner Padma Suramala in an e-mail to Nunavut News/North March 24.

Suramala had previously stated at a press conference on Oct. 2 that the coroner's inquest into the cause and possible prevention of the high rate of suicide in the territory was being delayed until early 2015.

The inquest had originally been scheduled for the fall of 2014.

The primary reason given for the delay was a mandatory inquest into the death of Solomon Uyarasuk held Nov. 24 to 28 in Iglulik. The 26-year-old died Sept. 23, 2012 inside an RCMP jail cell in Iglulik while in custody.

Suramala announced plans to conduct a discretionary inquest into suicide deaths in the territory in January 2014 as a response to the 45 Nunavummiut who took their own lives in 2013. That was the highest number of suicides in one year since the territory's creation in 1999.

"The intent of the inquest is to build on the work already done by the chief coroner and the community coroner with respect to suicide, highlight risk factors and warning signs, raise public awareness and facilitate making recommendations to avoid preventable deaths in future," Suramala said when she announced plans for the inquest.

In December, Nunavut News/North spoke with a Kugluktuk woman who was preparing to participate as a witness at the inquest.

Sylvia Kilgik's therapist, with her permission, also spoke to News/North, explaining how difficult the process is because it can involve many questions and can be intimidating.

"I was asked to support Sylvia because she had volunteered. I have worked with lots of people who are suicidal, or who are thinking of suicide, or who are dealing with suicide after someone else has attempted, or they themselves have attempted. I've been helping Sylvia look at some of the issues around people in her family and friends who ended their life by suicide and how she was making sense of that, and how she can support herself," said therapist Terry Garchinski at the time.

"My approach is to help the person become at peace with themselves and what happened, as much as possible. If they can talk to someone like me who is supportive and non-judgmental, and say all that they need to say - they're better able to say it to others without being so triggered."

Unfortunately, faced with the constant postponement, Kilgik will no longer be participating in person.

"We appreciate and respect that the chief coroner is extremely busy and probably needs triple the resources. However, with no fixed date in sight for the inquest, we've had to stop preparing the clients for the inquiry," said Mike Webster of the Society for Building a Healthier Kugluktuk, the organization that has been supporting Kilgik.

"Reviewing real-life risk factors re-opens many issues. Without a fixed date, there is no opportunity for closure. The client is always on, but on standby. The clients are left reliving and sustaining the trauma instead of gladly sharing their truths as part of a life-long healing commitment, and moving forward as a constructive way to help others."

Instead, the society is now helping clients "get closure after a year of opening up old wounds and painful memories that are personally destructive and can actually divide the family."

Managing trauma, he adds, comes with needing a clear purpose.

"We are in the middle of producing a testimonial report to submit so the chief coroner may use that when it's more convenient a time."

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