SAMHSA’s Preventing and Responding to Suicide Clusters in American Indian and Alaska Native Communities Report This report examines suicide clusters within American Indian and Alaska Native communities. It discusses effective prevention strategies and offers resources to communities to decrease the prevalence of these clusters. A suicide cluster may be defined as a group of suicides […]
Preventing Suicide by American Indian and Alaska Native Youth and Young Adults This manual lays the groundwork for community-based suicide prevention and mental health promotion plans for American Indian and Alaska Native teens and young adults. It addresses risks, protective factors, and awareness, and describes prevention models for action. Click here to download the Manual: […]
Written by We R Native blog author: Constance Owl, an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in western North Carolina. constanceamity@gmail.com Like many high school seniors this time of year I find myself nervously checking the mailbox each day for that important college acceptance or denial letters. Just the other day I received […]
“Suicide rates for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) are four times higher than the national average. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for AI/AN youth between the ages of 15 to 24.1 This fact sheet, developed for tribal audiences and the agencies that work with them, reviews suicide prevention in Indian Country […]
Youth Submission by Ally Gee, Dine Ya’at’eeh! My name is Ally Gee and I am an enrolled member of the great Navajo Nation. I was recently selected as a 25 Under 25 awardee at the National UNITY Conference in Minneapolis, MN. I am so honored to have been selected and to get to work with […]
Our partners at IllumiNative and NDN Collective held a weekend-long event, Indigenous Futures, that featured powerful programming that wove together the knowledge and experiences of Natives in the arts with organizers from the movement for Native political power. Judith Le Blanc (Caddo), Executive Director of the Native Organizers Alliance (NOA) had the opportunity to be […]
As Native youth are back to school many youth councils are meeting for the first time and setting good intentions for the upcoming year. UNITY 25 under 25 awardee Elizabeth Bryant, of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe, shared her experiences with her Youth Council’s annual retreat and planning meeting. “We discussed our focuses […]
Click here for more information Background/Objectives: In a sociopolitical landscape characterized by growing student behavioral needs and stagnating or shrinking resources, school systems must become more efficient and promote shared ownership to support students. Teachers are critical stakeholders as we expand school mental health systems, yet they receive little training in mental health and are […]
As we continue to find ways to heal our mental and emotional health, we learn to utilize various means to bring about healing. For many Native youth, music and creating are that outlet. So we are excited to provide a platform for Native youth and artists to showcase their talents. “UNITY Turn Up Tuesdays” will […]
The Los Angeles movie premiere of Prey,’ a Predator prequel streaming online on Hulu, drew the film’s biggest stars including Stormee Kipp, Shoshone-Bannock, a UNITY alumnus, Amber Midthunder, Assiniboine/Sioux, and Dakota Beavers, a descendant of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo. Midthunder plays Naru, a Comanche warrior woman, Beavers plays Taab, the older and supportive brother of Naru, […]
