Native American teenagers, especially the boys, are far more susceptible to depression and suicide in Native American communities.

Many Native/Indigenous tribes (click here) embrace a worldview that encompasses the notions of connectedness (with the past and with others), strong family bonds, adaptability, oneness with nature, wisdom of elders, meaningful traditions and strong spirit that may serve as protective factors when it comes to mental health.

- Native/Indigenous people in America report experiencing serious psychological distress 2.5 times more than the general population over a month’s time.

- Although overall suicide rates are similar to those of whites, there are significant differences among certain age groups. The suicide death rate for Native/Indigenous people in America between the ages of 15-19 is more than double that of non-Hispanic whites.

- Native/Indigenous people in America start to use and abuse alcohol and other drugs at younger ages, and at higher rates, than all other ethnic groups.

...The failure of the U.S. government to fulfill its treaty agreements (click here) with Alaskan and Native American people has led to disparities in income and education, the pervasiveness of poverty; and access to care issues. These domains help to set the stage for health disparities that frequently catapult native people to early death. Many of these mental and physical health conditions are preventable. 

I have Native American blood running through my veins, as do millions of other Caucasians. My ancestors were the Blackfeet who live in Northwestern Montana. It is one of the largest tribes in the nation. My sensitivity to the plight of Native Americans with mental illness is especially grave.

One Native American community leader said, “I am dealing with people who have been disenfranchised and their mental illness originates in the system around them, the environment, the surrounding historical trauma. They are not crazy; they are people responding to trauma in their life.”

The Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller said, “In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to remember seven generations in the past and consider seven generations in the future when making decisions that affect the people.” May our generation consider the past and future regarding mental health care for all minorities, as we should for all other Americans....