Strengthening cultural identity in Native youth, to lower suicide risk later in life
This story is part of VNN Oklahoma’s “Returning to Balance” Solutions Journalism Series. Using a solutions journalism approach, these stories highlight Indigenous led, culturally informed strategies to address challenges that disproportionately affect Native communities. "Returning to Balance" aims to inspire leaders, health organizations, and community members to consider new, community-grounded pathways for change. Our team spoke with people who are transforming their communities through culturally rooted solutions. At VNN Oklahoma, we believe Indigenous communities should not be defined by the problems they face. Instead, they should be recognized and supported for the positive change they create, honoring their culture and their wisdom.
These stories are made possible in part through the support of Native Oklahoma Insurance.
(NATIONAL) “Students who came on the first day kept coming back,” said Valentín Quiroz Sierra, a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Indigenous Health at John Hopkins University, describing his experience working with Native Vision Camp.
Native Vision is a summer camp program that focuses on providing Native youth with culturally relevant art activities and physical sports, with the goal of providing a sense of cultural identity and belonging.
When speaking about the retention rate for the camp, Quiroz Sierra said, “I think that's also evidence of just how engaged the students were with the program and wanting to stay involved with the Native Vision camp.”
Working with Native Youth is a priority for faculty at the John Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, who see it as a way to lower the risk of suicide later in life.
Native Americans have higher suicide rates than other groups. According to The Red Road, suicide rates in Native American communities are highest for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.
“Research overwhelmingly shows that when we're able to build protective factors, give young people these kinds of skills around coping and education around mental health, that it is more impactful later in life,” said Quiroz Sierra.
He told us Native Vision began in the 1990s.
“Basketball, volleyball, lacrosse,” said Quiroz Sierra. “They're also getting kind of these programmatic pieces around a curriculum about promoting positive mental health, regulating emotions, kind of life skills, programming. But even those components are kind of culturally tailored to make sense to the tribal community.”
Teresa Brockie, an Associate Professor at the John Hopkins School of Nursing and an Indigenous Nurse Scientist at the Center for Indigenous Health, has been working with the Fort Peck Tribe, starting with youth in HeadStart.
Brockie told us back in 2010, the Fort Peck Indian Tribe experienced a suicide cluster and a State of Emergency was declared.
She was a PHD student and wrote her dissertation about the impact of protective factors.
“We identified a few cultural protective factors and risk factors,” said Brockie.
A collaboration with the Tribal Advisory Board identified the next steps in the process as early intervention with children.
Brockie says the approach she has developed is intergenerational, involving the parents of the children in HeadStart that are participating.
“Our focus was to build protective factors in children with their parents to support them along the way with the long term goal of having an impact on youth suicide,” said Brockie.
The cultural part of the curriculum involves four components from Brockie’s dissertation findings: enhancing tribal identity, strengthening family and community, marking for stress management, and healing temporary and historical trauma.
The curriculum has 12 lessons and includes content from other suicide prevention curriculum, including the Celebrating Life curriculum created by the White Mountain Apache Tribe that is designed to address youth suicide.
According to the John Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, the Celebrating Life curriculum program offered promising results for the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
Suicide deaths decreased by 38% and suicide attempts decreased by 53% within the 12 years of the program’s origination.
Lessons from CETA (Common Elements Treatment Approach) for substance use were also adapted for the curriculum.
But, Brockie says, she and her team faced challenges with the project when COVID started.
“Headstart closed their doors and the parents became kind of distrustful because of COVID, it was really difficult to recruit during that time so everything has been delayed.”
While her research with the children and families in HeadStart will not be complete until later this year, Brockie said the feedback has already been positive.
"They (the parents) found it very beneficial not just for their children but for them as well,” said Brockie. "I think the early feedback has been really good. As far as some of the lessons, I think one of the most beneficial that people have really appreciated is the cultural lessons. I think for us is finding evidence that supports cultural protection because there has to be something that provides protection for us to survive over years."
Like Brockie, Quiroz Sierra agrees that teaching about culture and coping skills young is critical for assisting Native youth later in life.
“When we work with young people, we're able to kind of advance these skills, advance this knowledge,” said Quiroz Sierra. “So it's more beneficial later in life if someone does experience a challenging time, or, you know, they have this knowledge as they navigate the rest of their life.”
But, as with any problem, there are limitations to the solutions. When it comes to addressing suicide in Native communities, lack of funding tops the list. Especially in rural communities.
“I think the biggest challenge is that we don’t get resources where they need to go and the second is that we assume that suicide is race based when it’s actually place based. It depends on where you live,” said Brockie.
Brockie said suicide clusters are often found in rural or remote settings, reservation settings and Alaska Native villages.
“If you look at how we fund. So, Congress identifies a problem, they'll implement funding to address that problem,” said Brockie. “They do not take into consideration the impact, the prevalence of suicide in these communities when they're distributing funding. Everyone gets the same amount of funding whether you have a high high rate of suicide or a low rate of suicide or no suicide.”
Brockie estimates her completed research study will be available early next year.
If you or someone you know is struggling call 988 or reach out to the suicide preveniton lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
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