…and how the struggle for self-determination makes a difference
By Louisa Worrell – BASICS #17 (Jan/Feb 2010)
Indigenous suicides are an invisible tragedy in this country. Among youth and children, the rates of indigenous suicide are anywhere from two to six times the rate of non-indigenous or non-native Canadians, depending on age and sex. That being said, statistics that point to these elevated rates of suicide are not inclusive of non-status native peoples, nor do they include the Métis Nation. According to data provided at a Toronto roundtable on children’s mental health, held in February 2005, the youth suicide rate in Canada is 18 deaths per 100,000 youth. The rate among aboriginal youth is 108 per 100,000 — six times higher.
One of the most obvious factors contributing to these statistics is the 500 years of brutal colonization and genocide experienced by the indigenous peoples of Canada. Another There contributing factor is that indigenous youth are more likely to be intoxicated when committing suicide. This is half as common with non-native cases of suicide.
It is very important to caution against deriving generalizations from statistical findings. Suicide rates in different indigenous communities can vary greatly and are dependent on several factors. Some indigenous communities have suicide rates that are equal to the national average, including youth statistics.
So what factors reduce suicide rates among indigenous youth? The findings are of no surprise: communities with self-government, land claims, indigenous-lead education, health services, cultural facilities, and indigenous-run police and fire services have significantly lower rate of youth suicide – six times less. We see, therefore, that self-governance plays the biggest role in keeping the suicide rate among youth closer to the rate among all Canadian youth.
The neglect, if not out-right oppression, of indigenous peoples has greatly affected its youth, and the stakes are lethal. At the centre of these problems is the still colonial government of Canada. The “assimilate or die” attitude has not just been detrimental to the indigenous communities and nations within Canada’s borders: it can be considered genocidal. And what the statistics on suicides among indigenous youth indicates is that the resistance to colonialism, the refusal to be exploited and the fight for justice are the most important reasons why youth are choosing to keep themselves alive, even if they are impoverished and malnourished. This is the most important lesson to take from the many studies on native youth suicides.
