Mental Illness in First Nations Communities
This blog is going to be on mental illness on F.N. communties. The ideologies that First Nations people and non Aboriginal peoples face are not the same as the average Canadian. When dealing with the Canadian Mental Health Association they could not elaborate with the Anishinaabe Peoples because of their difference in cultural and healing beliefs.
Many mental health problems of Aboriginals arise from a long history of colonization, residential school trauma, discrimination and oppression and loss of land, language and livelihood. Many families were deeply affected by the government's residential school policy. Rates of mental health problems such as suicide, depression and substance abuse are significantly higher in many Aboriginal communities than in the general population. The rate of suicide among Aboriginal peoples is 2.1 times the Canadian rate. Simlarly, the rate of suicide for Aboriginal women is three times the national rate.
In 2000/01 suicide and self-injury were the leading causes of death for Aboriginal youths, suicide accounted for 22% of all deaths among Aboriginal youths (aged 10 to 19years) and 16% of all deaths among Aboriginal people aged 20 to 44 years. These are alarming facts and have to be addressed by the leaders of the First Nations communities and government officials.
We have to empower one another and realize that this is a national problem, not just one specific community. Mental illness is not just a problem with First Nations people but in every ethnicity. One in three people you cross in your daily life has or will face mental illness. This disease doesn't pick skin colour or beliefs, however, each culture may have their own ways on treatment. In my opinion, and through research we just have to be supportive and understanding of mental illness.
Meegwetch,
Jennifer
References: Canadian Mental Health Association
www.ontario.cmha.ca
First Nations stories from elders
Thanks Jenifer for your blog post! It seems that when we learn about how colonization, residential schools, the over populated toxic housing conditions, and water crisis on the First Nations people don't take the fact that these do have long generational impacts on the mental health of our people. Some people assume that this marginalized group should be able to just heal and get over it, unfortunately, I believe that it took decades of torture to try and eliminate us, its going to take decades to heal. The Aboriginal Healing foundation and programs which were designed to help with the reconciliation of past and present assimilation tactics are already being cut. We are such resilient peoples to endure hundreds of years of sexual, physical, emotional, spiritual and mental abuse.
ReplyDeleteMigzs Tammy