Nunavut’s Embrace Life Council, Inuit youth plan for World Suicide Prevention Day Sept. 10

The National Inuit Youth Council plans a noon-hour suicide prevention event at Parliament Hill in Ottawa Sept. 10.

With World Suicide Prevention Day approaching Sept. 10, organizers have planned suicide prevention activities in Ottawa and Iqaluit.

Sept. 10 marks the official World Suicide Prevention Day, but Nunavut’s Embrace Life Council has organized a week of events in Iqaluit.

Nunavut suffered more suicides in 2013 — 45 — than in any other year since the territory’s creation in 1999, prompting the chief coroner to call for a public inquest.

The inquest is still in a “preliminary stage” Padma Suramala, Nunavut’s chief coroner told Nunatsiaq News Sept. 2.

The Embrace Life Council’s theme this year: “Piliriqatigiinniq” — that is, working together for a common cause.

“Building connections and working together is very important for suicide prevention, intervention and postvention,” a Sept. 3 press release from the Embrace Life Council said.

On Sept. 7, a family turf time takes place at the Arctic Winter Games Arena in Iqaluit from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m..

Embrace Life will also hold an open house Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon in its office at the W.G. Brown Building. A candle light vigil is scheduled for 7 p.m. outside the elders centre.

On Sept. 10 the council will also host a concert, in partnership with Alianait, bringing the Yukon trio Speed Control to the Inuksuk High School at 7:30 pm. Tickets for the concert can be bought at Arctic Ventures.

The National Inuit Youth Council also plans to host its annual Celebration of Life on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Sept. 10, featuring performances from Nunavik singer Beatrice Deer, drummer David Serkoak, the Ottawa Inuit Children’s Choir, students from the Nunavut Sivuniksavut college program, and throat singers.

A free barbecue at the Iqaluit RCMP detachment will take place Sept. 12 at noon, before the week-long effort to prevent suicide ends with an Amazing Race event Sept. 13.

Registration for the race costs $5 and can be done through Terry Kusugak at tkusugak@inuusiq.com or 975-3233.

The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Cycle Across the Globe are also working together to raise suicide awareness by challenging cyclists to cover a distance equal to the circumference of the globe — 40, 075 kilometers.

Nunavummiut have been challenged to cover the distance of the Northwest Passage within Nunavut, from Pond Inlet to Amundsen Gulf and have until Sept. 10 to record their efforts.