Reclaiming the Iñupiaq Self: Understanding the Past, Valuing the Present, Shaping our Future

Abstract:

American Indians and Alaska Natives face the highest rates of suicide in the United States. Many Alaska Natives have lived experiences regarding this statistic. By drawing upon literature across centuries, we begin to understand why suicide rates are so high. This project discusses using the "culture as treatment" approach to address the disproportionately high suicide rates in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, specifically for Iñupiat communities in northern Alaska. Stigma around spiritual belief systems prior to Christianity is also considered. The project urges Iñupiat individuals to learn true cultural histories while unlearning common misconceptions about ancestral spirituality.

View final project here