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CBC
11 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Nunavut declares suicide to be a crisis — again
The government of Nunavut and Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) have re-declared suicide to be a crisis, mirroring a move the territory made a decade ago. The declaration was one of 32 recommendations from a coroner's inquest in April. That inquest looked into the circumstances around the death of George Arlooktoo, 28, during a confrontation with RCMP officers in Kimmirut six years ago. The inquest jury found that Arlooktoo died by suicide on Feb. 9, 2019, from multiple stab wounds to his neck. John Main, Nunavut's health minister, said Wednesday the declaration now is an opportunity to refocus the government's efforts on the territory's fourth suicide prevention plan. "We are still in a crisis. It is a crisis, it meets the definition absolutely," he said. "We want to make sure that [the action plan] is implemented in an aggressive manner that recognizes the fact that we are in a crisis here, and the fact that this cannot continue." In 2024, 32 people died by suicide in the territory, according to the chief coroner's office. That's on par with the average over the past decade. The territory has the highest rate of deaths by suicide in the country. NTI vice-president Paul Irngaut said suicides have continued despite their best efforts but the focus now has to be on the future. "Suicide prevention is not a checklist. It's not judged by success or failure," he said. "We can't just say why didn't it happen a long time ago or why can't it happen now. I mean, it's an ongoing issue and the more we deal with this, the less suicides there will be." Public health emergency not deemed 'best approach' Former premier Peter Taptuna's government declared suicide a crisis in October 2015 — two years after the territory saw a record high number of people taking their own lives. The move came after another coroner's inquest that year which called for suicide to be declared a public health emergency. The Nunavut government has again stopped short of declaring a public health emergency. Under the territory's public health act, doing so would have granted the territory's chief public health officer special powers, including striking new agreements with the federal government and procuring medical aid. For years, Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster has pushed for an emergency declaration. "What we hear on a regular basis from the government of Nunavut is that one of the other crises that we are in is a lack of human resources," she said. "A public health emergency in this crisis could bring so many resources in order to fully implement that action plan." Main said his department looked into declaring an emergency, but the chief public health officer determined it was not the "best approach". He did not elaborate further. However, he said suicide prevention is a multi-faceted issue that demands a complex response. "Some people have a very narrow view of suicide prevention and think of a counselor and a patient … but it's much broader than that," he said. "It's child protection, it's housing, it's anti-bullying, it's providing supportive services to those who have mental health needs when they need them. It's more Inuktitut to be used in mental healthcare." Need to change crisis response Brewster believes right now, the default response to somebody in crisis is to send the police, which she believes needs to be changed. "If we're sending police in to check on people when they are in a mental health crisis, that can create more of a crisis for the individual because it creates fear," she said. She noted that one of steps outlined in the territory's action plan is to provide suicide training across Nunavut's communities, though she said there isn't a clear commitment in the plan about how that will be achieved. "What's most important is effectively arm community members with the ability to walk each other through this ongoing crisis," she said. The jury in the coroner's inquest in April made 32 recommendations. Main said there will be a more detailed response coming on the remaining ones, as they require input from multiple other agencies and departments. Next week, Main plans to hold a meeting with partners to discuss how to advance the suicide prevention strategy and where they should target funding and resources. While the crisis declaration isn't legally binding, he said there are ways for Nunavummiut to hold the government accountable. "Judge us by our actions: how many mental health staff do we have on the frontlines, how many shelters we have or spaces for youth, how many services we have available for children in need around social services," he said.
CBC
14-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Nunavut declared suicide a crisis 10 years ago. Some say it's time to do that again
Some advocates say there are lessons the Nunavut government can learn from a decade ago, as officials continue working on their response to recommendations from a coroner's inquest in Kimmirut last month. That inquest looked into the circumstances around the death of George Arlooktoo, 28, during a confrontation with RCMP officers in Kimmirut six years ago. The inquest jury found that Arlooktoo died by suicide on Feb. 9, 2019, from multiple stab wounds to his neck. One of the jury's key recommendations was for the territorial government to declare suicide a crisis. That's something former premier Peter Taptuna's government did in October 2015. The move came after another coroner's inquest that year called for suicide to be declared a public health emergency. The territory also saw a record high number of people take their own lives in 2013. After the declaration in 2015, Kilikvak Kabloona, who's now with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., was tasked with spearheading the Nunavut government's actions on suicide prevention as the associate deputy minister for quality of life. "Looking back, the declaration of a crisis by the [inquest] jury at that time opened the door for staff to be hired, for budgets to be secured and for all of the partners to be working together," Kabloona recalled. It led to a one-year action plan by the territory, and also Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami's National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy which has received ongoing federal funding since 2019. While slightly different from a public health emergency — which grants the territorial government more powers to take measures to protect public health — a declaration of a crisis, according to Kabloona, could still allow for more funding and a re-prioritization of the territorial government's efforts. Kabloona says there were lasting results from the 2015 declaration, including the delivery of land-based programs in Nunavut's three regions, plus the addictions and trauma treatment facility in Iqaluit. Still, she says suicide is an incredibly difficult subject. "Everybody in Nunavut has family and friends [who are affected], and we miss out on those people in our lives. That's hard." Last week, Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok met with ministers about the inquest jury's recent recommendations. The Department of Health says it's still working on a response, as it requires action from multiple departments. MLA calls for whole-of-government approach In 2024, there were 32 deaths by suicide in the territory, according to the chief coroner's office. That's on par with the average over the past decade. The territory has the highest rate of deaths by suicide in the country. The Nunavut government isn't able to categorize the epidemiological data of deaths by suicide, meaning the information on the causes and patterns of illnesses. The Department of Health, however, says it's working on a territorial mental health surveillance system to help with that data collection. In 2023, Iqaluit-Sinaa MLA Janet Pitsiulaaq Brewster also urged the territorial government to declare suicide a crisis. "It concerns me that 10 years after the first declaration came, we're back full circle to the same spot," she said. She believes government departments are still working in silos, and they need to take a whole-of-government approach, though that can be difficult with high job-vacancy rates and an overwhelmed workforce. "So the act of declaring a crisis or a public health emergency can help to bring, at the very least, bring resources together to help those overworked public servants figure out how to pool those resources," Brewster said. She adds that suicide prevention requires a holistic approach, as there are many factors that affect mental health, like cost of living, housing, abuse, and a lack of community spaces such as a gymnasium for youth to participate in healthy activities. Some communities, she adds, also lack support services, and residents are forced to go to larger centres like Iqaluit for those services. Kennedy Haines is a program evaluation coordinator of the Inuusivut Annirnaqtut 2024-2029 action plan, the territory's fourth suicide prevention action plan. "I think a lot of people still associate it with mental health and don't necessarily see the big issue. So it's really been important to try to get everybody motivated. Suicide is everyone's responsibility," Haines said. She describes suicide prevention as addressing the social determinants of health, like housing, food insecurity, and intergenerational trauma. For Haines, pouring more resources into suicide prevention means getting the right staff in the right places. That's a challenge for some smaller communities but she's optimistic it can be solved. Youth promoting life As officials continue to work behind the scenes, young Nunavummiut are busy creating opportunities for people to be healthy and connect with others. Haines was part of a youth-led event earlier this month to celebrate the territory's action plan. It was an opportunity for the community to gather to enjoy some music, Inuksiutit (country food) and talk about mental health. Mia Maurice, a throat singing and drum dancing instructor, says she hears people talking about their mental health struggles all the time, though she also understands others can find it difficult to put into words how they're feeling. She also believes it's important to show to other Nunavummiut the beauty of life in the territory. "Our culture is so vibrant and so alive … to me, it's very important to promote our culture and our identity," she said. Drum dancer Aura Kwon says music can be a powerful tool for people to heal, and it's helped her find a community with the Inuksuk Drum Dancers. "Seeing a lot of youth, especially younger high schoolers that are involved in these community events … I think it really shows a bright future for the community," she said.
