The REZ - Facing the Facts
Native American girls suffer from the highest rates of suicide in the United States compared to any other female non-Hispanic or ethnic group. Even with these known facts there are still not enough tribal and Indian Health Service funds to address this little-known epidemic by a large margin.
According to the Center for Disease Control (2015) American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) female suicide rates were 2nd highest at 9.9 deaths for females and highest at 34.3 deaths for males per 100,000 population. AIAN males are twice as likely to commit suicide as their non-Hispanic and ethnic peers which creates a deeper emotional impact for girls and young adult women who are related to or have close social connections with these young men.
A study conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, found that for AIAN females using age adjusted data suicide rates increased 89% from 1999 to 2014 for ages 10-75 years old. Important to note in disparities found for Native American teens and suicide is that it is estimated that up to 30% of suicides are not reported as such.
The National Institute of Justice (2016) reported 4 in 5 or 84.3% AIAN women fall into the category of having experienced violence in their lifetime and 1 in 3 have experienced violence just in the past year. A further breakdown shows that 56.1% experienced sexual violence; 55.5 % experienced physical violence by an intimate partner; 48.8% have experienced stalking; and 66.4 % who have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner of any race.
AIAN Young adult and teen rates are rarely reported within research surveys, but are still considered high-risk for similar interactions with their significant others. More stories are needed to be shared in order to shed greater light on the issues and positive possibilities that skateboard programs can and will provide for Native youth, especially for girls and women on Pine Ridge.
We work with Native Youth who live in the poorest county per capita in the United States with an unemployment rate of 85%, 97% of residents live below the poverty level. Diabetes is prevalent, 1 in 2 Lakota Youth will develop Type II Diabetes during their school years. Native American teen suicide is 3.5 times higher than any other ethnicity.
In September 2020, former Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribal President, Julian Bear Runner declared a state of emergency for the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation because of increases in suicides and suicide threats. The declaration pointed out that there had been 177 suicide attempts in 2020 with 9 successful suicides by individuals between the ages of 14 and 32.
WHY OUR WORK MATTERS
This is why Oyάte Wóokiye’s work matters right now and why we are committed to be a beacon of hope through leadership and mentorship programs that inspire youth to reach for their dreams as we encourage them to make healthy, life-affirming choices. No one stands alone; so, our outreach to families and engaging community leaders remain high priorities.