Building on strengths in Naujaat: the process of engaging Inuit youth in suicide prevention

Abstract

Death by suicide and attempted suicide among Inuit youth is now considered a public health emergency of epidemic proportion, with rates among the highest worldwide. A strong sense of cultural identity and pride, as well as social capital, has been identified as being protective against suicide. The Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People call for communities to be included in the conception, planning and implementation of research. The authors took first steps towards sharing the responsibility of designing a community initiative with the youth of Naujaat, Nunavut, a community located directly on the Arctic Circle. With the objectives of promoting open listening and exploration of community needs and enhancing self-determination and sustainability, we postulated a youth resiliency project that will be co-authored by the community. This paper describes the joint work process. We recount how Inuit youth take ownership of the project with the guidance of Ms. Elizabeth Haqpi, a Naujaat Elder. The article will particularly reflect on the process of balancing the different perspectives and expectations while enjoying the richness of mutual learning through keeping each other accountable.

Centering Indigenous Knowledge in Suicide Prevention: A Critical Scoping Review

“…Cautioning against pan-Indigenous approaches [52,62,68,77] Integrating contextual considerations [44,51,63,73,81,91] Other decolonial approaches [40,41,44,45,50,63,64,79,80,85,86,91] Engaging culture and strengthening connectedness…”

Etnoeducación: educación para la salud desde la diversidad cultural

“…Actualmente la promoción de salud se ha convertido en un práctica que implica aspectos como la educación, formación, investigación, legislación, coordinación de políticas y desarrollo comunitario, por lo que hoy en día se han reportado múltiples experiencias que integran a las comunidades indígenas en los procesos de promoción y prevención, como es el caso de los jóvenes Inuit en el territorio de Nunavut (Canadá), quienes se apropiaron de un proyecto de prevención del suicidio en su comunidad, así como la nación Navajo en los Estados Unidos, con jardines comunitarios para la promoción y prevención de la diabetes y la obesidad a través de los buenos hábitos alimenticios (45)(46)(47). El impacto de la experiencia de los jardines comunitarios en la nación Navajo se encuentra en evaluación por parte de los autores; sin embargo, este tipo de intervenciones de educación en salud han mostrado resultados positivos en cuanto al consumo de frutas y verduras en otras poblaciones (47).…”

Collaborative approaches to wellness and health equity in the Circumpolar North: Introduction to the Special Issue

“…In their report from Naujaat, Nunavut, Anang et al provide insight to the processes of co-designing, developing, and implementing a youth-focused community initiative [14]. Through a community-based participatory research approach, researchers worked with Inuit youth to create a self-directed and self-sustaining health promotion initiative.…”