KUUJJUAQ, QUEBEC
Making good on its March 8 promise to make suicide prevention its top priority Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) unveiled its National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy July 27.

"Suicide among Inuit is a symptom of wider social challenges in our population that have emerged in just the last several decades," said president Natan Obed.

The four Inuit regions in Canada - Inuvialuit Settlement Region in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik in Northern Quebec and Nunatsiavut in Northern Labrador - collectively known as Inuit Nunangat, have rates of suicide that range from five to 25 times the rate of suicide for Canada as a whole, according to the strategy.

At the unveiling in Kuujjuaq, Obed spoke of residential schools, relocation and dog slaughters as traumatic episodes "creating a social environment in the 1970s that led to the first time of our Inuit communities having elevated rates of suicide."

Obed paused, emotional, then continued, "I think of all the things that have gone on in the families of those people that were relocated. And then I think of my son."

Looking for harmony and balance

Obed said he and his children are still looking for a place of harmony and balance, as his past relatives had before relocation and other trauma.

"I'm doing everything that I can to ensure that (my son) does find that. That he grows up in a stable home. That he knows his culture. That he knows his language. That he appreciates his elders. That is what we are trying to get back to.

"And that is at the root cause of why suicide exists the way that it does in our communities. Because we are still searching. Because if we don't have the means and we don't have the ability to feel at home within our own community or with our own knowledge or our own skills, then we are at risk. So I look forward to working with all of you to make a better future for all Inuit."

Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott was also in attendance at the 60-person gathering. As part of the $69 million the federal government is contributing to indigenous mental health, announced last month, $9 million over three years will go toward helping implement ITK's national strategy.

"I would like to commend Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami for its efforts to raise awareness about suicide in Inuit communities and we are supportive of the work that they are doing," said Philpott.

"We are committed to working directly with Inuit leaders on issues that are important to them, including turning the tide of suicide that is having a devastating impact on Inuit youth, families and communities."

The federal funding includes "dedicated resources for enhancing mental health services, providing support and training resources for early childhood development programs, supporting a fund for Inuit-led suicide prevention projects, programs, and initiatives administered jointly by Inuit and Health Canada, and supporting Inuit-led coordination, outreach, and education for suicide prevention," states a joint news release.

44-page strategy

In his previous capacity as director of social and cultural development for Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Obed took the stand last September at the inquest into the high rate of suicide in the territory held in Iqaluit. He criticized the Government of Nunavut for lack of political will and lack of funding for the territory's own strategy, for which he was one of the original developers as early as 2010.

Regarding that strategy, Obed said at the time it needed to be "the primary priority of the government to carry it through" and "the willingness to fight through an obstacle."

As a national Inuit leader, Obed is now in a position to help make great strides in suicide prevention.

Sixty-thousand Inuit across Canada - most of who live in 53 communities across Inuit Nunangat - are represented by ITK, and this national strategy aims to be Inuit-specific and, most importantly, Inuit-led.

"Our ancestors had relatively low rates of suicide. They persevered through hardship, which is why we are here today," said Obed. "We must work together to support the people in our society who are struggling so that they can be strong and resilient throughout their lives once again."

The 44-page strategy, which is "designed to coordinate suicide prevention efforts at the national, regional, and community levels," outlines six key priorities:

• creating social equity,
• creating cultural continuity,
• nurturing healthy Inuit children from birth,
• ensuring access to a continuum of mental wellness services for Inuit,
• healing unresolved trauma and grief, and
• mobilizing Inuit knowledge for resilience and suicide prevention.

Each priority lists objectives and actions, adding up to 29 each.

The strategy also lays out "evidence for effective suicide prevention by looking at suicide risk factors as well as protective factors. It outlines the evidence that supports our approach to suicide prevention through a focus on the impacts of historical trauma, social inequity, intergenerational trauma, childhood adversity, and mental and acute forms of stress. It also describes the role protective factors can play in buffering individuals and groups against suicide risk."

In his introductory statement to the strategy, Obed said, "We are all affected by suicide. We think of those who are no longer with us and feel intense sadness in knowing our society is diminished without them sharing our path through life. Our collective loss is difficult to discuss but we are finding a way beyond this tragic reality by confronting it head-on."

ITK intends to evaluate the strategy every two years.

"Evaluation will be critical in each priority area, both to assess advances towards addressing the priorities, and also to highlight gaps in our understanding and approaches," ITK states.

"The (strategy) envisions evaluation as a way of continuing to add to Inuit knowledge in suicide prevention, advancing promising practices, and enabling communities and regions to learn from each other. In evaluation, as in all other research activities related to Inuit well-being, efforts should be led by Inuit, and guided by Inuit knowledge and values."

Overall, ITK's position is that "suicide is a preventable public health crisis in our communities" and "Inuit-specific actions can transform our society."

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