The Native Village of Chitina hosted community gatherings for suicide prevention on September 25 and 26 at the Chitina Hall, with visiting facilitators from the Southcentral Foundation (SCF). Corina Ewan, President of the Native Village of Chitina, shared these were the first gatherings of their kind the village has hosted. I attended Saturday’s gathering, alongside about 30 other people.
A bountiful lunch was provided by SCF and prepared by their staff. The meal included an overflowing tray of tender, golden fry bread whose preparation was spearheaded by Piniq’ Clinical Supervisor Janice Rose in the tradition of her Tsimshian family. Rose shared making frybread is one way she can grieve lost loved ones in a healthy way, doing things she remembers doing with them when they were living.
denile Ault, Southcentral Foundation Family Wellness Warriors Operations Manager, shared a song from their Łingit heritage before diving into activities meant to foster connection and explore resilience.
Ault began with a question for every person in the room, “What’s your favorite thing about fall?”
After everyone took the time to share and listen, Ault analyzed the process as a tool that others can use to bring people together. They recommended using an open-ended question anyone could answer, noting that after a simple round of sharing a group can “feel better connected,” and that the process was a tool to “get the conversation started” and create a space in which everyone feels they belong.
Belonging was a theme Ault referred to throughout the event. They stated that traditional values created spaces in which community members feel a sense of belonging, and provided a path towards “a meaningful life.” They also implored individuals to find their own sense of belonging by believing, as they were told long ago, “You have gifts to share and your work is to figure out what those gifts are.”
Many community members may have heard of “protective factors,” - the term for the things that can help a person to be more resilient to difficult times. Ault discussed protective factors, adding that they don’t make bad things go away, but rather help people to respond to them in a healthy way. “Our culture has built in protective factors,” Ault said, “Culture has technologies we inherited to have a meaningful life.”
The presenters introduced a drawing of a tree and invited participants to add leaves to the tree representing lost loved ones. “It is a normal thing for our loved ones to become our ancestors,” Ault said, but how do we “share the load” of grief, and “how do we grieve in a healthy way?”
Participants were invited to publicly describe people whose loss was still felt, and to add their names to the tree. The group listened respectfully, which held space for that departed and missed person. Values that “keep us rooted” were also added to the tree.
Not everyone was on the same page at all times. Some community members commented that their faith in Jesus Christ, specifically, was vital to their ability to get through hard times. Ault acknowledged the role Christian faith played in the commenters’ lives, and added that many of the values, including caring for others, overlapped.
While there was some respectful difference of opinion around faith, the people who brought it up also expressed that SCF bringing the group together to talk and connect was valuable, and that they would welcome the representatives back to the community. They were among many participants who stated they would like to see more gatherings.
Participants were invited to share takeaways as the afternoon concluded. Many expressed their love and gratitude for the community, and appreciation for the opportunity to connect with each other. Several also shared they enjoyed spending time with the SCF facilitators through the weekend.
Rose advised, “Think about the people who are not here today. Check on them.”
Some also shared struggles. SCF staff coached other participants in the room to express their love and support for people who were struggling. After formal activities concluded, informal conversations about hard topics continued.
Joining Ault and Rose for the weekend in Chitina were SCF Learning and Development Associate IIs Emily Sheakley and Sahara McKee, Rural Team Clinician Anne Hillman, and Event Lead, Piniq’ Team, Janelle Baker.
In addition to hosting gatherings, Ewan stated the village is posting information about local crisis resources on its social media channels. According to Elder Dan Stevens, the Friday gathering was attended by over 30 people including Chitina and Kenny Lake area locals. Facilitators discussed safety planning and other aspects of suicide prevention and crisis intervention.
More information on services offered by NV Chitina is available at 823-2215. The national crisis line can be reached by text at 988. Copper River Native Association 24 hour line: 822-5241. CRNA offers both locally based and remotely based counselors. In medical emergencies, call 911.
A representative from Southcentral Foundation reviewed a draft of this article prior to publication.
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