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- By Native News Online Staff
Happy Monday. Welcome to March, which the Ojibwe refer to as Ziissbaakdoke Giizis (Sugar Moon), referring to the start of the maple syrup season.
Here are some of the stories you may have missed this past weekend:
Scope Narrowed, Report Withheld: Questions Mount Over Michigan Boarding School Study
A Michigan House General Government Subcommittee hearing was held Thursday morning to determine why the Native American Boarding Schools in Michigan Final Report has yet to be officially released by the State of Michigan.
Chaired by Rep. Tom Kuhn (R-Troy), the hearing was marked by sharp finger-pointing over the horrific legacy of Indian boarding schools — an era that left generations of Native Americans suffering from historical trauma caused by physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, including rape and the disappearance of Native children.
Native youth die by suicide at rates 91% higher than the general population. Tribal communities are turning to culturally centered treatment — combining ceremony, traditional practices and mental health care — to address a crisis rooted in generations of historical trauma.
Growing up on the Navajo Nation, Diedra Yellowhair heard only whispers of people in her community dying by suicide. In traditional Diné beliefs, speaking about the deceased is thought to beckon more death, and dying by suicide was taboo.
“In my generation, when I was younger, middle school, high school, suicide wasn't something that was openly talked about,” said Yellowhair, an assistant professor and research faculty member in psychiatry and behavioral health at the University of New Mexico.
‘You Are Never Alone’ | How One Tribe Is Fighting Youth Suicide With Culture and Crisis Response
The Lummi Nation is responding by combining crisis intervention with cultural reconnection — monthly Coastal Jams, canoe pulling, and youth council programs that give young people a voice and a sense of belonging.
In 2024, representatives from the Lummi Nation, including its youth council, traveled to Reykjavik to learn about the Icelandic Prevention Model, developed in the early 1990s to reduce teen substance use. When adapted to rural communities in North America, the model has shown promise in reducing symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation.
A coalition of five Washington tribes is working to adapt the prevention model, marking the first time it's been implemented in tribal communities.
More Stories Like This
Native News Weekly (August 25, 2024): D.C. BriefsNative News Weekly (March 1, 2026): D.C. Briefs
Scope Narrowed, Report Withheld: Questions Mount Over Michigan Boarding School Study
Zuni Youth Enrichment Project Announces Family Engagement Night and Spring Break Youth Programming
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