Why On the Path of the Elders Matters

A fatality inquiry into a Tsuu T’ina teenager’s suicide demonstrates the urgent necessity for more Aboriginal-focused resources like PathoftheElders.com:

Fatality report into Tsuu T'ina suicide shows struggles of native teens (Calgary Herald)

In this article, provincial judge Catherine Skene draws attention to the pervasive and systematic lack of support Aboriginal youths face:

 “CF struggled as she grew up in an atmosphere of neglect, emotional injury and chronic parental alcohol abuse ... CF’s suicide was not the result of a single event ... she did not have the social support systems in place that a child in a traditional, stable, nuclear family would have.”

How Self-Governance Can Save Lives

“Not all Aboriginal communities experience youth suicide. ... 90 per cent of the suicides take place in just 10 per cent of B.C. communities.” (Honouring Life Network)

These were the findings by researchers Michael J. Chandler and Christopher E. Lalonde in 2008. They conclude:

“individual and cultural continuity are strongly linked, such as that First Nations communities that succeed in taking steps to preserve their cultural heritage culture, and that work to control their own destinies, are dramatically more successful in insulating their youth against the risks of suicide.”

In other words, there is a direct link between self governance and lower suicide rates.