| Summary: | Michael Kral, Associate Professor School of Social Work, Wayne State University The Return of the Sun: Suicide and Suicide Prevention among Inuit in Arctic Canada Indigenous peoples in the Arctic, including Canadian Inuit, have among the highest suicide rates in the world. It is primarily male youth who are killing themselves. The suicides began in the mid-1980s, and the rate continues to increase with 2013 being the worst year to date. Inuit lived in traditional family camps on the land until the 1960s, when the Canadian government took control of their lives. Inuit were moved into crowded settlements run by white government workers and their children were taken away to residential/boarding and day schools. A cash economy was started that with very few jobs created poverty. Older Inuit attribute their social problems to when they were moved to the settlements. Yet Inuit have begun to reclaim control over their lives, including having an Inuit political territory called Nunavut. Communities have begun on-the-ground sovereignty, including developing their own programs for suicide prevention. Several communities have reversed the suicide trend and have almost stopped suicides from taking place. I will discuss some of these communities, showing what Inuit have done for suicide prevention. Collaborative community-based action is the best strategy for Indigenous communities for their well-being.
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