It is no mystery that the health of the Indigenous population is very poor. The suicide rates among Aboriginal youth are alarmingly high.
CBC News recently talked to a woman by the name of Jaylene Delorme-Buggins. A few years ago, she lost her sister to a crystal meth overdose. Jaylene herself had struggled with addiction for a long time. After her sister passed she took on the responsibility of caring for her niece and nephew. This forced her to clean up her act and work towards turning her life around.
She has now become a part of a youth empowerment organization known as Live Different. Jaylene, along with her Indigenous team, visit First Nations communities to deliver motivational presentations, sharing of personal stories of hardships, as well as workshops.
Jaylene says she wants to change the way youth think about life, how suicide is not the answer for dealing with depression, stress, and addiction. "I wanted to be one of those people who actually walked that path and use those experiences to work with youth."
I recently learned that many people who identify as being Aboriginal are not registered under the 1876 Indian Act. This means they are known as non-status, and therefore non eligible for many services and programs that are offered by Federal and Provincial agencies.
Many Indigenous families have also severely suffered from the results of being forced into Residential Schools. It sickens me beyond belief the torture and suffering that so many Indigenous Peoples in these schools endured. To “take the Indian out of the child”.
Most surprising to me is that the last residential school closed only 23 years ago. I believe this is a major factor in why there is such a high rate of suicide and depression among First Nations.
I believe its important that Canadians continue to work towards reconciliation and work towards providing Aboriginals who are considered non-status with the same resources as those who are status. Being able to access the tools to help deal with the trauma they endured will help to decrease the rates of suicide in the Indigenous populations.
Article source retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/jaylene-delorme-buggins-suicide-prevention-travel-1.5087318
Facade of Gordon Residential School, Saskatchewan © Columbia University Libraries 2012
