Indian Suicide

Sure, it's not a great topic, but one that shoudl be discussed. Dave, I think you're comments are right on. The damaging and destructive force in Indian Country remains colonization. The goal posts simply keep moving in Western culture. The acquisition of wealth remains a constant, but what consitutes wealth continues to shift. There was a time not to long ago when owning your own home was a sure sign of wealth--now it seems that if you don't have a McMansion in one of the nation's numerous gated communities, then you're on the verge of being destitute. How do people from a culture that places the communtiy over the individual compete in this environment? Leaving aside the numerous other problems facing the rez, the lack of economic opportunities within a reasonable distance keeps Indian people from fully taking part in western culture. That being said, western cultures have done a good job in eradicating traditional Indian culture and as such, modern Indians are left with almost no culture of their own. Dave, you were correct when you said that I'm not Indian (I wasn't offended, merely oversimplifying), but as a person of Indian heritage I have witnessed the aftermath of cultural destruction--see the personal note to yesterday's post.

I think the issue of Indian suicide is based on a number of factors--we've talked about many. Today, Indian Country Today ran an article stating the Indian Health Service is seeking to eliminate the health care discrepencies in Indian Country. To that end, Congress has appropriated $5 million for "suicide prevention." Isn't that just wonderfully American?? Here's an issue we don't really know what to do with--may as well throw some money at it. Hey, I'm not saying the money won't help, but until we understand the causes of Indian suicide (which are different than the causes in white soceity) we can't really prevent it. The real problem is that the causes of suicide are so numerous when one lives on a rez that I feel there isn't an amount of money in the world that can truly "fix" the problem.

To end on a lighter note--the Royals took 2 of 3 from my Red Sox. In obsessed baseball fan culture, this is a reason to kill oneself--see the reasons are far too numerous. (Clearly this last section is a joke, but I thought I'd better put this in before some of you jump all over me for taking the topic of suicide lightly--that is in no way the case)