SUICIDE

"Alaska Native suicide rate more than twice that of non-Natives.” “The crisis in rural Alaska.” These are common headlines found in papers across Alaska. Suicide is a sensitive but urgent topic. It’s a painful fact of life here in my own community. We all know someone who has committed suicide, and for many, it has often been a close, dear loved one who has succumbed to it. Some families have even lost several family members to suicide.

White tanks near Front Street

I recently had a dream in which I was walking around Kotzebue, near the large white tanks near Front Street (if you know Kotzebue, you know what I am talking about). I saw a young man standing at the top of a tank, ready to jump to his death. I knew that he was suicidal but what did I do? I turned my back and pretended not to notice. If I pretended not to notice, it wasn’t happening. In my dream, I heard him jump to his death, which upset me a great deal. Just then an older cousin strolled up to me and I said to him, “He just committed suicide.” And flippantly, casually, he replied, “Oh, people do that all the time here.” And that was the end of my dream.

I think that this is an accurate representation of my culture’s attitude towards suicide. While I don’t think that we dismiss it so blatantly, we do not address it aggressively or effectively. I say aggressively and effectively because it is a matter of life and death and many individuals continue to take their own lives. 

I have many questions.

As friends and family members, what do we do to try to prevent a loved one from committing suicide? If someone we know is struggling emotionally, going through hard times and has even made suicidal gestures and/or attempts, what kind of help do we offer? What services are available, and furthermore, what culturally sensitive services are available? What are the reasons behind a person’s decision to not seek help and how can we address those reasons?

As a whole community, what are we doing to address the underlying issues that contribute to the high suicide rates? What steps are we taking to make our community healthier, happier, and more able to cope with life’s stressors? How do we become proactive, as opposed to reactive?

I am sure there are resources out there, but from my stance, from my perspective, I am just an ordinary member of my community. I hang out with my friends and family members, go to work, interact with my coworkers, etc. I am just like many other members of my community. From my stance, my questions go unanswered.

Finally, how do we mobilize a community of regular, ordinary individuals such as myself?