Insights from Cowichan: A Hybrid Approach to Understanding Suicide in One First Nations’ Collective
Explanations for suicide are theorized primarily in terms of the individual, seldom considering the interdependent orientation of Indigenous communities. Drawing on the interpersonal theory of suicide and settler colonial theory, this study addresses Indigenous suicide on two levels: the individual...
| Published in: | Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2017
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| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12364 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fsltb.12364 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/sltb.12364 |
| Summary: | Explanations for suicide are theorized primarily in terms of the individual, seldom considering the interdependent orientation of Indigenous communities. Drawing on the interpersonal theory of suicide and settler colonial theory, this study addresses Indigenous suicide on two levels: the individual and the collective. Twenty‐one interviews were conducted with members of the Cowichan Tribes to understand reasons for suicide in one community. Qualitative analysis identified explanatory constructs proposed by the interpersonal theory as well as negative conditions stemming from colonialism, as proposed by settler colonial theory. These results argue that Indigenous suicidal behavior is best understood from an interdependent standpoint. |
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