Healthy Living: Local News
New Report Addresses Suicide Among Natives
A new nationwide report aimed at preventing suicide in the American Indian and Alaska Native youth communities is hitting home here in Alaska.
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Story Updated: Jul 27, 2011
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTVA-CBS 11 News) A new nationwide report aimed at preventing suicide in the American Indian and Alaska Native youth communities is hitting home here in Alaska.
The report is called to "Live To See The Great Day That Dawns."
"It is like an answer to prayer, because you know that suicide always drug along that taboo that you shouldn't talk about it," said Barbara Franks of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
The report addresses "integrating the cultural aspect as something that we have leaned on for a long time and I also need to say that was taken away from us for a long time," said Franks.
Franks said there are issues dealt with in "To Live To See The Great Day That Dawns" that get right down to the heart of the matter--
The idea that it's acceptable to cry and talk about feelings is something that Franks knows all too well. She lost her son to suicide.
"I always thought that if he scraped his knee that I could wipe it off and I could put an 'it's not going to hurt' ointment on. I could put a superman band-aid on and I could give it a kiss and he'd be off on his way. But, whatever was hurting him at that time, he couldn't share that with me. To the young men out there and the women, you need to find someone," said Franks.
Finding someone to talk to is one of the key messages the Alaska Suicide Prevention council wants to get out, especially when it comes to the high rates of suicide in the Alaska Native population.
"There is another day and there are people out there that love you, that care about you. Suicide just should not be an option, it is the last voice and there are mothers and families, and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles, that are just bleeding and crying over the loss of someone they love that they can't change," said Anna Fairclough for the Alaska Suicide Prevention Council.
The Statewide Suicide Prevention Council met with tribal leaders in Kotzebue last week to discuss suicide prevention.
Franks said with hard work and using the national report as a guide, Alaskans can see a lot of positive changes in our state.
According to the report in 2004, suicide was the second leading cause of death after accidents for Alaska Natives and American Indians of all age groups.
If you need to talk to someone about suicide, you can call the Alaska Care Line at 1 -877-266-HELP.
To contact The Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.
The report is called to "Live To See The Great Day That Dawns."
"It is like an answer to prayer, because you know that suicide always drug along that taboo that you shouldn't talk about it," said Barbara Franks of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.
The report addresses "integrating the cultural aspect as something that we have leaned on for a long time and I also need to say that was taken away from us for a long time," said Franks.
Franks said there are issues dealt with in "To Live To See The Great Day That Dawns" that get right down to the heart of the matter--
The idea that it's acceptable to cry and talk about feelings is something that Franks knows all too well. She lost her son to suicide.
"I always thought that if he scraped his knee that I could wipe it off and I could put an 'it's not going to hurt' ointment on. I could put a superman band-aid on and I could give it a kiss and he'd be off on his way. But, whatever was hurting him at that time, he couldn't share that with me. To the young men out there and the women, you need to find someone," said Franks.
Finding someone to talk to is one of the key messages the Alaska Suicide Prevention council wants to get out, especially when it comes to the high rates of suicide in the Alaska Native population.
"There is another day and there are people out there that love you, that care about you. Suicide just should not be an option, it is the last voice and there are mothers and families, and brothers and sisters and aunts and uncles, that are just bleeding and crying over the loss of someone they love that they can't change," said Anna Fairclough for the Alaska Suicide Prevention Council.
The Statewide Suicide Prevention Council met with tribal leaders in Kotzebue last week to discuss suicide prevention.
Franks said with hard work and using the national report as a guide, Alaskans can see a lot of positive changes in our state.
According to the report in 2004, suicide was the second leading cause of death after accidents for Alaska Natives and American Indians of all age groups.
If you need to talk to someone about suicide, you can call the Alaska Care Line at 1 -877-266-HELP.
To contact The Newsroom, call 907-274-1111.
