The Aboriginal Newspaper of British
Columbia & Yukon
Top News - April - 2003
Published April 14, 2003
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The tough get going to combat youth suicide
Youth conference goes to the street
Healing foundation nears endThis is only a partial listing of the stories featured in the April 2003 issue of Raven's Eye. If you are not receiving your own copy of Raven's Eye, then you have missed out on a lot.
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The tough get going to combat youth suicideGoody Niosi, Raven's Eye Writer, Nanaimo
At 6 a.m. April 1 on a chilly overcast morning in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, a small group of young people took their first step on a monumental journey.
Their route would take them to Departure Bay where they would board the ferry for Vancouver.
From there the road will lead through the Fraser Valley, over the Rocky Mountains, through the prairies, and finally across Ontario to the capital city, Ottawa. They are determined to cover these thousands of kilometers on foot, with one support van, a few tents for shelter, and some sleeping bags for warmth on cold and rainy nights.
None of the eight walkers have attempted anything like this before. But they are determined to go the distance. Their target date for arriving in the nation's capital is June 21, National Aboriginal Awareness Day.
"No matter what happens we've got to be there," said Paul Lalibert, media organizer and support van driver. The young walkers are hoping to raise awareness and money for new programs to prevent suicide among the young people of the country.
"I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to save a life," Lalibert said.
"We have a cell phone that's been donated and the number will be advertised on TV. So maybe someone might call us while we're on this walk. And if that happens, if someone on the other line is in a crisis, this walk will be stopped right at that point so that we can talk to that person. That is our hope."
The statistics on youth suicide are chilling. Between 70 and 80 per cent of all Canadian youth consider suicide before graduating from high school. In Canada more than 25,000 youths attempt suicide each year and more than 250 die. In 2000, 35 youths in British Columbia took their lives. Equally disturbing is the fact that Aboriginal youths who take their lives outnumber non-Aboriginal youths four to one.
Although all who are walking come from First Nations, the Youth Suicide Prevention Walk is to make a difference for all youths in Canada. The walkers have all dealt with suicide in their lives-either a personal attempt or the deaths of friends and loved ones. Young people consider suicide for reasons such as school problems, involvement with alcohol or drugs, poverty, and sexual, physical or mental abuse.
Kandace Hingley said she is walking because she wants to bring everyone together.
"I had a cousin who committed suicide. He took his own life in his bedroom. His family is still dealing with that. He was about 19."
At age 36, David Elliott is the eldest of the walkers, but like the others he has experienced the depths of despair. Two of his best friends killed themselves when they were 15 and 16. Elliott considered joining them. He has also spoken with many teens who have considered suicide.
The walk is just the beginning of the work, Lalibert said.
"The long dream that we have is that we will raise enough funds to build a building outside of Nanaimo, somewhere in the woods, where youth can come-where they can phone-where there is a 24-hour line with Elders and trained staff. That is our hope and our dream."
The young people set off with the blessing of the Elders and with gifts-sacred staffs, blankets, and feathers. There were also practical gifts from the community: a van donated by Carter GM, camping equipment from Wal-Mart, and vehicle insurance from the Squamish Nation. Friends and local artists donated items for the crew to auction to raise money along the way.
Asked how they felt setting off on such a journey, the young people had just one word: "Excited."
"I'm really excited because I, too, just about took my life in 1984 and now I thank god I didn't," Lalibert said.
"It's not an easy walk, because we're walking for the young people who have passed on. People are starting to come forward with names. We're hoping by the time we get to Ottawa that we have lots of names so that the federal government can see the problem."
The cell number to reach the walkers for help or to donate is 250-741-7795.
Youth conference goes to the street
Erin Culhane , Raven's Eye Writer, Vancouver
Walking through the back alleys of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside isn't likely to be most people's idea of a conference workshop. Neither would hip-hop dance lessons and basketball at the Y. Yet these were all important items on the agenda at the first Aboriginal Youth, Violence and Troubling Times training conference called Preparing Our Youth for a Healthy Future. Held March 6 to 8 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Vancouver, the conference was organized by First Nations Training & Consulting Services (FNTCS).
Organizer Edith Loring-Kuhanga, president of FNTCS, explained that the conference agenda was set up in a triage format to identify problems, to find the causes of the problems and to brainstorm solutions.
More than just a we'll-talk-you-listen conference, the three-day event was an interactive opportunity for discussion, forums, workshops, role-playing and feedback. The idea for the youth conference came from the annual Aboriginal Women and Leadership conference.
"They (delegates) identified the need and asked the possibility of a youth conference. We were kind of going on new ground, but it's turned out really well," said Loring-Kuhanga.
One of the main attractions for the youth was award-winning actor and rap artist Litefoot, although it was feared he would be unable to make the conference.
"He got caught up in a snowstorm in Tennessee. We were frantically trying to reorganize," said Loring-Kuhanga.
Fortunately Litefoot made a later flight and got in about 6 p.m., in time for an impressive performance, which was appreciated by youth and adults alike. He also gave a 45-minute talk to the youth about violence and not getting involved in gangs.
"The youth were almost mesmerized by him," said Loring-Kuhanga. "They just listened. It was amazing, you could hear a pin drop. He gave a strong message about their identity, taking pride and leading a clean and drug-free life."
The most popular workshop was Reality Check for Indigenous Youth. Although organizers put two tours on the agenda, the demand was so great that they doubled up.
"We felt we had to respond to that demand . . . 48 people went," said Loring-Kuhanga. Delegates went down to the Eastside police station on Main Street, where they were met by Morris Bates, a victim assistance worker with the Vancouver Police & Native Liaison Society. After watching a video in the police station, Bates led them through the back alleys of East Hastings Street.
Said Loring-Kuhanga, "The youth were amazed at the realities on the street, amazed at how many of our youth, looking for a better life, get involved in drugs, alcohol and prostitution. I think it really hit home with some of them." After each of the tours, an Elder was available for debriefing for youth who wanted to talk about the experience further.
Other highlights included special guest speaker Evan Adams, an accomplished writer/actor-turned-doctor who is currently doing an internship at St. Paul's Hospital. He spoke to delegates about the kinds of things they could expect if they went away and got an education. The resounding message: No matter what you choose to do, you are capable of it if you put your mind to it.
"Afterwards, there were lineups of people waiting to talk with him and get his autograph," said Loring-Kuhanga.
She said the feedback from delegates was positive. "We're very interested in having the conference as an annual event. Whether it will be in a different location has yet to be decided. If we did move it, we'd probably move it to Winnipeg or Toronto. We've had so much interest in it across the country."
Healing foundation nears endPaul Barnsley, Raven's Eye Writer, Vancouver
The man leading British Columbia's residential school survivors organization says the government has refused to consider extending the mandate of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation (AHF).
"The federal government really has no long-term strategy for community-driven healing and it's tragic. Really tragic. One of the most wonderful things that's happened in the Aboriginal community is the notion that we can seek wellness and move forward. It's probably the best money that's ever been spent on Aboriginal issues," Chief Robert Joseph, executive director of Vancouver's Indian Residential School Survivors Society told Raven's Eye on March 26.
In 1998, Jane Stewart, then the minister of Indian Affairs, announced a $350 million fund to help in the healing of residential school survivors. It has been administered by the AHF under the leadership of former Assembly of First Nations Chief Georges Erasmus since then. Its original mandate is scheduled to expire at the end of the year. Joseph said the last deadline for new proposals was Feb. 28.
"In September, they'll give out all the money and that's it," he added.
Joseph said many survivors are discovering that monetary settlements are not enough to help them put the unpleasant memories and emotional scars of their residential school experience behind them.
"They still need help to heal even after receiving settlements," he said. "Hopefully we can move to a stage where we can really begin talking about what's paramount, which is healing. That's why we're really deathly afraid that the federal government refuses absolutely to extend the mandate of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. I think healing has just started in many communities and there's huge momentum that needs continued support and the federal government is terribly, terribly wrong not to extend the mandate. They've simply refused to discuss the possibility," he added.
Joseph recently drafted an open letter to prime minister asking him to intervene in this matter. He said he has secured a commitment from all the national Aboriginal organizations to endorse the letter.