Canadian Inuit Take a Note From Dan Savage

“It gets better” was the message at an Ottawa Inuit rally for World Suicide Prevention Day.

Inuit from across the country rallied in Ottawa this weekend to draw awareness to the incredibly high suicide rate for Inuit youth and adults. Amongst male Inuit aged 15-24, the suicide rate is 28 times the national average, and levels at about 11 times the national average beyond that age range. Just a day before World Suicide Prevention Day, a crowds gathered around Parliament Hill with posters and slogans in English and Inuktitut. Organizers of the Embrace Life event said Northern Canada lacks mental health facilities and resources, which they believe are key in suicide prevention. The situation is particularly dire in Nunavut, which does not have a single mental health centre.