In honor of Suicide Prevention Month, the Petersburg Indian Association in partnership with the Petersburg Medical Center and the Supporting Health Awareness and Resiliency Education (SHARE) Coalition have put up a temporary memorial to those lost to suicide in Petersburg.
People can write down the name of loved ones on a memorial board near the totem poles on the corner of S Nordic Drive and Haugen Drive. The memorial will be up through the end of September.
According to the Alaska Department of Health, rates of suicide in Alaska are much higher than national rates. Jalyn Pomrenke, tribal administrator for the Petersburg Indian Association, said that the topic of suicide is important to talk about, especially for Alaska Native communities.
“It’s important to the Petersburg Indian Association because the statistics for men and women who are native Alaskan or Native American who commit suicide are a lot higher than other demographics in the United States,” said Pomrenke. “So we wanted to raise awareness to something that is very prevalent within the tribal community.”
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, in 2020, the death rate from suicide for American Indians and Alaska Natives was 50% higher than for non-hispanic whites. Suicide was also the second leading cause of death for non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives ages 10-34 in 2022.
Pomrenke said she hopes that the community can use the memorial as a place to remember and heal.
“One of the biggest myths that I used to believe about suicide, that is, if you talked about it, you would push someone to potentially want to harm themselves,” she said. “But that’s actually a huge myth. Talking about suicide and recognizing that it is something that happens within our community, while it is a very dark topic, can actually really help people heal from their own suicidal ideation.”
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Anyone can call or text 988 or chat with someone online at 988lifeline.org at any time. In Petersburg, the emergency room is also a safe and immediate option for anyone in crisis. The Petersburg Indian Association can also connect tribal members to resources.
There are also multiple mental health and safety training opportunities available for youth and adults in town throughout the year. There is an upcoming Youth Mental Health First Aid training on Oct. 15, which helps adults recognize and respond to mental health challenges in youth.
