Only 22% of Alaskans say they attend religious services at least once a week, making Alaska the least religious state judged by this measure.
The nights are long, the days are short, and Alaska is on suicide watch.
Some experts say increased stress caused by high fuel and food prices in rural Alaska contributes to the problem, but the underlying issues include the "usual" culprits we call poverty, oppression, poor education, and substandard housing. Throw in elements of acculturation such as mission and boarding schools, some with clergy and lay staff members who were later charged with child abuse. Add unhealthy doses of hopelessness, abuse, mental disorders, domestic violence issues, and alcohol and other substance use disorders. The end result is a recipe for disaster, darkness, despair, and death.
As people of faith charged with bringing the love of God to our world, suicide is a problem we cannot ignore.
As we promote the protection of all life as foundational to our social justice practices, we need to educate ourselves about this epidemic and take action to promote change. What can we do? We can PRAY, yes i feel called to go reach out to these people "the remote villages of alaska"however maybe you don't be as followers of Christ we should all have a heart for the lost... breaks my heart to see these people this way... the Tlingit tribe in southern alaska doesn't even have any scripture translated in their language the inuit tribe of northern alaska only has the new testament translated and to get a copy of that is really expensive so pray that these people find the hope we all know as followers of Christ that there is light even in the midst of all the darkness they see all around them...
ALASKA IS NOT ALONE. Suicide is a societal evil across the country according to expert reports at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Suicide Prevention Resource Center; but Alaska CONSISTENTLY ranks high in the nation's suicide statistics. Alaska natives, particularly young people, are especially at risk.
Alaska State Troopers and state health officials are reporting a stunning number of suicides this month in Western Alaska, most of them involving teenagers. Since the start of the month, six people have killed themselves in communities on or near the Seward Peninsula, including two deaths in the small community of Selawik, population 820. More have attempted to take their own lives in recent weeks, troopers said. With a suicide rate that is nearly twice the national average, Alaska has consistently ranked at or near the top in per capita suicide rate, according to the state Department of Health and Social Services. Last year, the state had 146 suicides, higher than its average of roughly 128 over the past decade, said James Gallanos, the Division of Behavioral Health's lead suicide prevention coordinator. But the rates vary greatly by region, and Northwest Alaska is consistently the deadliest.
Norman Eck is superintendent of the Northwest Arctic Borough School District, which lost three students in recent weeks, he said. A 42-year-old Selawik woman who committed suicide Dec. 8 was the mother of another two students.
CDC studies showed that, from 1999 to 2004, suicide ranked as the eighth leading cause of death for American Indians/Alaska Natives of all ages and as the second leading cause of death for those from age 10 to 34. And, according to the Alaska Bureau of Vital Statistics, the figures are continuing to rise.
Pray that God will liberate those in darkness and despair, especially those who are contemplating suicide. Pray too that God will remove the blinders from our eyes and show us when we too disrespect others, even if we don't mean to do so. Pray that we allow the light of the Risen Christ to illumine our lives, so that we can shine like beacons to those in darkness.
