The Fight Against Aboriginal Adolescent Suicide - 1806 Words

In North American society, the idea of mental health and suicide is presented quite frequently. Whether it is someone directly associated with oneself (friend, family member, co-worker, etc.) or the news recapping another life lost to suicide, it is an ongoing battle and it affects everyone. In 2010, there was 3,951 reported lives lost to suicide in Canada (â€Å"Suicides and suicide rates†, 2014). Navaeelan (2012) points out that suicide is a major cause of preventable death, and it is the second leading cause of death among youth. Within the youth population in Canada, Aboriginal youth are most at risk for attempting suicide, with rates 5-7% higher than those of non-Aboriginal heritage (Health Canada, 2013). The ongoing battle against†¦show more content†¦The origin of culture stress for the Indigenous populations dates back to the late 15th century when the French and British settled along the Atlantic coast. The Europeans took over the Indigenous peoples’ l and and slowly began forcing the First Nations peoples westward in an attempt to â€Å"control the relationships between First Nations and colonists† (â€Å"First Nations in Canada†, 2013). Another major moment in history that added to the cultural stress for Indigenous peoples was the passing of the Indian Act of 1876. The list is endless when talking about the ways the Indian Act contributed to cultural stress for Aboriginal peoples, but the following are key points that have held the highest negative impact in regards to suicide rates with Aboriginal peoples: implementing reserves, creating residential schools, and renaming individuals with European name (Joseph, 2015). The implementation of the reserves was a massive cultural stressor for Indigenous peoples as many were nomadic hunters and relied on the ability to travel to maintain their food source (â€Å"First Nations in Canada†, 2013). Though this is not a factor in society today, reserve living is still challenging for some, especially those First Nations located in remote communities. In 2011, the Pikangkikum First Nations reserve in northwest Ontario became all too familiar with burying their young after six teenagers committed suicide in the span of two months (Thompson, 2011). Thompson (2011) notes that