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The newest survey from the Pew Charitable Trusts concludes suicide is an urgent public health issue. Their data shows that while the suicide rate increased an alarming 30% across the board over a 20-year span, the rate for Native American and Alaska Native females rose a staggering 135% over the same time. The number for Native males is close behind. At least half of those people had contact with the health care system within a month of taking their own lives, indicating an opportunity for trained professionals to intervene. It’s Suicide Awareness Month, and we’ll look at the promising work to turn around a dire trend.
GUESTS
Dr. Antony Stately (Ojibwe/Oneida), executive officer and president of the Native American Community Clinic
Dr. Dolores Subia BigFoot (enrolled member of the Caddo Nation), presidential professor who directs the Indian Country Child Trauma Center within the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Shaun Griswold (Laguna/Zuni/Jemez), editor of Source New Mexico
Raymond Daw (Diné), behavioral health consultant
Break 1 Music: Healing Song (song) Judy Trejo (artist) Circle Dance Songs of the Paiute and Shoshone (album)
Break 2 Music: Blue Dream Wedding Cake (song) Def-I (artist) Blue Hour (album)
Combat Sports has saved me on many levels, and suicide was a major thing it saved me from. I’ve seen Combat Spirts save many people from drugs, alcohol, and suicidal tendencies! Combat Sports gives a person a sense of purpose, allows an outlet to get the bad things out of you in a good way, and teaches you how to deal with the hard things in life, how to deal widen things don’t go right!
September being Suicide Awareness Month, it’s also ?Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and they can go hand in hand!