Now is the time to figure out what suicide crisis means
Declaring a crisis is a good step; now the work begins to translate it into saving lives
Health Minister John Main, left, and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. vice-president Paul Irngaut speak to reporters in Iqaluit on June 25 about the two parties “reaffirming” Nunavut is in a “suicide crisis.” (Photo by Jeff Pelletier)
Acknowledging a problem is the first step toward fixing it.
That’s why it was encouraging to see the Government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. declare there’s a suicide crisis in the territory.
While it’s a good step, it’s just a start. Nunavut now needs to come up with innovative ideas to address the ongoing problem.
In less than 15 years — between 2010 and early 2024 — 451 Inuit took their own lives, Health Minister John Main said recently in the legislature. That’s a little more than one per cent of Nunavut’s population.
On June 25, Main and NTI vice-president Paul Irngaut announced they were reaffirming a crisis declaration made in 2015 — 10 years ago.
“Today we’re reaffirming that yes, it is a crisis. Yes, it does demand our attention and demands that we do everything we can to address it,” Main said.
Hopefully, they’re not just reinventing the wheel. They could have spelled out more clearly how that declaration will translate into saving lives.
Declaring a suicide crisis was one of 31 recommendations made by the jury in a coroner’s inquest in April into the 2019 death of George Arlooktoo in Kimmirut. One juror said four others in the hamlet of fewer than 500 people had taken their own lives since then.
“This really is a crisis; we really need to do something,” that juror said.
A Nunatsiaq News editorial supported that recommendation — even if it wasn’t clear what that kind of declaration would mean.
Declare the crisis. Acknowledge the devastation suicide causes to families and communities. Figure out what it means to have a “suicide crisis” and what to do about it later.
The time has come to figure it out.
But with summer’s arrival, then an October election, this declaration shouldn’t be something politicians announce in June and leave for the next government to deal with.
Main and Irngaut said the response to the crisis will be the implementation of Inuusivut Annirnaqtut 2024-2029, a five-year “action plan” on suicide prevention the GN, NTI, the Embrace Life Council and the RCMP signed in October.
That plan is from a similar five-year plan in place from 2017 to 2022.
Many of the 25 items on Inuusivut Annirnaqtut’s list include strategies to prevent violence and bullying, promoting Inuit culture and wellness in schools, increasing youth leadership, and developing spaces where everyone feels safe.
So while this crisis declaration is sort of new, the response is not.
Declaring suicide to be a crisis was an appropriate step, especially on the heels of the recommendation from the Kimmirut inquest.
It’s just a start. More work remains to figure out what that declaration means, to find new ways of addressing the issue and to find new approaches to this chronic problem.
It’s fitting I guess that a person who uses words for a living would be impressed by the use of more words. And of course, no one will argue declaring a ‘crisis’ was the right thing to do. Indeed! But there are no revelations here. Everyone knows there’s a crisis, and unless something more tangible comes from these ‘words’ the result will be more cynicism and despair.
Okay, let’s focus on action. A good discussion might begin with a more in depth look at last five year plan. What were its successes, what was done right, what might have been done better, what were the measurable results, were there any?
Let’s put a little meat on these bones, Corey. ‘Flesh it out’ a bit, as they say.
Rigor does not live here.. I regret to observe
Stopping the hard drugs and discrimination and booze would help!
In Nunavik, the leaders just seem to be sweeping the crisis under the rug.
In the small town of 500 people in Umiujaq, there were 4 suicides in 2024 alone. There is no source of support and help for the families. The health board representatives really should provide more one psychologist in the region and become there is a lot of turnover in the few mental health workers, the clients have to keep repeating themselves to the new replacements.
The attitude of “when we start talking about it, more people will get the idea of killing themselves too’ should change. We need to talk about it. Families suffer in isolation.
Voting day must be coming soon
Yes, fast approaching, and time to work hard to get re-elected. Looking forward to real MLAs and True Leaders. Honest politicians don’t need to campaign as much as Mr Main. Attention Nunavummiu: who is running against him. Rumor has it coming so stay tune for the big surprise. They are coming full force and nothing stopping them.