Working To Help Save Lives

Pine Ridge, SD

On average, one South Dakota family loses a loved one to suicide every two days. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention says the state is home to the nation's seventh highest suicide rate. And report after report says Native American men and young people are the most at risk. 

It isn't an easy job.  

"We take calls from everywhere, sometimes even other reservations," Eileen Janis, suicide prevention with BEAR Program said.

Many are calls for help.  Eileen Janis and Yvonne 'Tiny' DeCory work with the BEAR Program in Pine Ridge. Everyday, they help Native American kids who are facing struggles, including suicide.

"Besides taking calls, there's kids that are tired of being hungry, you need clothes, some need shoes, so we take what we can and we give it to them," Janis said.

Their work days don't end when they punch out. 

"We put our personal cell phones out there on Facebook on the time, every week I put a message out there telling the kids you're not alone, these are our numbers, contact Eileen and I directly," Yvonne 'Tiny' DeCory, prevention specialist with BEAR program.

On the streets of Pine Ridge, you don't need to look far to find someone who has been directly affected by suicide. 

"It really hurts to see the young ones go," High Hawk said.

Just about everyone has lost someone, including Melvin High Hawk.  He says his daughter, Harmony, died in 2015.

"She committed suicide and it hurt me, and I miss her, I just pray for her for safe journey to the spirit world," Melvin High Hawk, Pine Ridge Reservation said.

Delores Pourier is another person working to save lives. She's the tribal health administrator. Over the last few years, the organization has applied for suicide prevention grants to provide resources for every young person who needs help.  

"We try to make sure with the suicide prevention grants that we reach all of the youth," Delores Pourier, Tribal Health Administrator said.

One of those grants is called 'Empowering Our Youth'.

"That was for cultural activities with the kids," Pourier said. "So we did a variety of activities, they did drum making, bread making, beading, a variety of things, we had cultural advisors come in to talk with the youth and it covered eight to 24 years of age."

There are also organizations outside of Pine Ridge offering help. 

"Catholic Social Services has been dedicated to providing services to undeserved areas for many years, I'm in my seventh year of traveling to the reservation and providing mental health services," Evelyn Wilder, Outpatient Therapist with Catholic Social Services said.

Wilder spends most of her time visiting schools on the reservation.

"I do provide the training for staff so they will know what to do should they think they know somebody who is thinking about suicide or they're really depressed and they don't know what to do," Wilder said.

They may be different organizations, but they all have the same goal -- to save lives.  

"The hope is that we don't take suicide as a norm, it's not normal, it's not our way, it's not anybody's way, and life is hard, not just for Native Americans, it's hard for all races, and it happens in all races," DeCory said.

We've provided a link to the national suicide prevention lifeline here.

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