1. Bering Straits Region (BSR) is made up of 20 Alaska Native tribes residing in Nome
and the 15 surrounding villages.
Our Partner Organization Kawerak, Inc.:
 Founded by the Bering Straits Native Association in 1971, engages in suicide
prevention efforts and community programming to promote a healthy and positive
cultural identity
Suicide rates in the Bering Straits Region are some of the highest in the state of
Alaska. (CDC, 2014)
Approximately 50 Alaska Native people die by suicide
each year. That's an average of about one every eight days.
Three out of four Alaska Native suicide deaths are males.
Alaska Native females aged 15-24 are nineteen times as
likely to die as all U.S. females in this age group.
Young Alaska Native males aged 15-24 are almost nine
Times as likely to die as all U.S. males in this age group.
IntroductionIntroduction
Community & Program StrengthsCommunity & Program Strengths
Culturally Relevant Alaska Native Suicide Prevention
in the Bering Straits Region
Alex Hillman & Andre Boskhomdzhiev in Collaboration with Kawerak, Inc.
Kawerak’s provides a broad spectrum of services and programming, which has lead to a wealth of coalitions and
effective partnerships regionally.
Youth Leaders Program already in existence, provides peer mentoring and leadership within community youth
Programs planned with culturally relevant programming attempts to bridge service provision with the cultural needs
and strengths of the communities
All of the villages’ leaders are involved in Kawerak’s planning processes to determine and steer the priorities of
Kawerak in tandem with their community
Community Health Workers: Village-based care providers (VBC’s) work with the behavioral health services & itinerant
clinicians to provide culturally sensitive care & continuity of services
Communities have resources for cultural revival, through traditional skills, language & subsistence activities
Culture Camp: Camp Igaliq takes at-risk youth out to the tundra for a cultural immersion, mentoring & support with
peers
Within the small native communities, they are tightly-knit, culturally rich, & residents come together regularly for
celebrations and experiences of loss.
 Small community size makes impacts of change apparent relatively quickly.
REGIONAL ISSUES PROJECT ELEMENTS PROJECT ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES
•Lack of culturally relevant wellness
programs in Native Villages
•Culturally disconnected mental health
care providers
•Lack of partnership between regional
Native mental health organizations
•High rates of suicide influences
community perception that may allow
belief that suicide is inevitable
•Social norms and stigma prevent
many people who attempt suicide
from seeking support services for
follow-up treatment
•No support program coverage for the
young adults under 30 year old
•Crowded housing, food insecurity,
and widespread poverty. Impact of
drugs and alcohol, depression, a
feeling of worthlessness
•Unhealed psychological and spiritual
wounds and unresolved grief brought
on by a century-long history of deaths
by epidemics and cultural and political
deprivation.
•Trauma as a result of household
violence, child sexual abuse, and
sexual assault.
Sustain partnerships
with Northern Alaskan
partners and build
statewide collaborative
partnerships in order to
advance, develop and
spread Alaskan Native
Suicide Prevention best
practices.
Increase youth wellness
activities and youth
leadership to build
positive relationship
with peers, role models
and elders in their
community and across
the NAWI region to
decrease Alaskan
Native youth suicide.
Increase youth and
community dialogue to
change the norms
around suicide as
something that can be
prevented.
School-based:
Expand outreach and increase
enrollment of Youth Leaders
program in high school students
(grades 9-12)
Support development of Youth
Leaders council in the region to
keep youth voices and role models
active and collaborating regionally
& statewide
Facilitate school workshops with
local and regional resources to
promote training, social support
and active bystanders for peer
support and intervention.
Community-based:
Host Youth Leaders Summit to bring
together youth leaders from across
the Northwest Alaskan region and
statewide
Support Camp Igaliq, culture camp
for youth to provide positive cultural
identity experiences and teach
cultural skills and values
Provide mentoring opportunities to
build supportive relationships
between elders, adults and high-risk
age groups.
Organization-based:
Host statewide meetings to increase
collaboration among prevention
workers
Leverage media focusing on stories
of Native inspiration and recovery to
change the narrative to promote
hope
Increase use of texting in suicide
treatment follow-up and support.
Short term:
Greater number of Youth Leaders
involved in program
Young adults will learn critical
thinking and decision-making skills
and express themselves.
Youth will build social skills, both
interactive and intra-active
Youth will increase help seeking and
substance refusal skills
More students participating in school-
based wellness activities
Increased follow up with suicide
attempts
Mid-term:
Increase self-efficacy
Develop leadership skills
Develop decision making skills
Develop positive relationships with
other age groups
Long term:
Improve peer climate
Youth will create positive change
Increase positive inter-generational
interaction
Young adults will increase resiliency
and prevention choices
Learn and participate in their culture
and traditions
Decrease in substance abuse
Decrease in underage consumption
and suicideProvide appropriate
intervention response,
treatment and recovery
activities for Native
Alaskan suicide in the
BSR.
We would like to acknowledge the following people, Kawerak Behavioral Health: Penang Pungowiyi, Bridie Trainor and our Faculty Sponsor: Lisa Wexler.
Kawerak, Inc.
Risk & Protective Factors for SuicideRisk & Protective Factors for Suicide

2. REGIONAL ISSUES PROJECT ELEMENTS PROJECT ACTIVITIES OUTCOMES
•Lack of culturally relevant wellness
programs in Native Villages
•Culturally disconnected mental health care
providers
•Lack of partnership between regional Native
mental health organizations
•High rates of suicide influences community
perception that may allow belief that suicide
is inevitable
•Social norms and stigma prevent many
people who attempt suicide from seeking
support services for follow-up treatment
•No support program coverage for the young
adults under 30 year old
•Crowded housing, food insecurity, and
widespread poverty. Impact of drugs and
alcohol, depression, a feeling of
worthlessness
•Unhealed psychological and spiritual
wounds and unresolved grief brought on by
a century-long history of deaths by
epidemics and cultural and political
deprivation.
•Trauma as a result of household violence,
child sexual abuse, and sexual assault.
Sustain partnerships with
Northern Alaskan partners
and build statewide
collaborative partnerships
in order to advance,
develop and spread
Alaskan Native Suicide
Prevention best practices.
Increase youth wellness
activities and youth
leadership to build
positive relationship with
peers, role models and
elders in their community
and across the NAWI
region to decrease
Alaskan Native youth
suicide.
Increase youth and
community dialogue to
change the norms around
suicide as something that
can be prevented.
School-based:
Expand outreach and increase
enrollment of Youth Leaders
program in high school students
(grades 9-12)
Support development of Youth
Leaders council in the region to
keep youth voices and role models
active and collaborating regionally
& statewide
Facilitate school workshops with
local and regional resources to
promote training, social support
and active bystanders for peer
support and intervention.
Community-based:
Host Youth Leaders Summit to
bring together youth leaders from
across the Northwest Alaskan
region and statewide
Support Camp Igaliq, culture camp
for youth to provide positive
cultural identity experiences and
teach cultural skills and values
Provide mentoring opportunities to
build supportive relationships
between elders, adults and high-
risk age groups.
Organization-based:
Host statewide meetings to
increase collaboration among
prevention workers
Leverage media focusing on stories
of Native inspiration and recovery
to change the narrative to promote
hope
Increase use of texting in suicide
treatment follow-up and support.
Short term:
Greater number of Youth Leaders
involved in program
Young adults will learn critical
thinking and decision-making skills
and express themselves.
Youth will build social skills, both
interactive and intra-active
Youth will increase help seeking and
substance refusal skills
More students participating in
school-based wellness activities
Increased follow up with suicide
attempts
Mid-term:
Increase self-efficacy
Develop leadership skills
Develop decision making skills
Develop positive relationships with
other age groups
Long term:
Improve peer climate
Youth will create positive change
Increase positive inter-generational
interaction
Young adults will increase resiliency
and prevention choices
Learn and participate in their culture
and traditions
Decrease in substance abuse
Decrease in underage consumption
and suicideProvide appropriate
intervention response,
treatment and recovery
activities for Native
Alaskan suicide in the
BSR.