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| Innu children
© © Serge Jourin/Survival |
Indians in North and South America are killing themselves in record numbers
as the continent marks Columbus Day (12th October). In one small Indian
community in Canada, four young people have hanged themselves in the past three
months alone.
The former chief of the village, whose nephew hanged himself on
the 30th September, has described the situation there as a suicide
'epidemic'.
The deaths are occurring in the Innu community of Natuashish in Labrador,
eastern Canada. Other Innu communities in Labrador and Quebec suffer from the
same appalling social problems, with epidemics of petrol-sniffing amongst the
children, and alcoholism amongst the adults. All ages have been committing
suicide in shocking numbers for many years, but this is now at an all-time
high.
Five years ago Survival's report 'Canada's Tibet: the killing of the Innu'
exposed the scale of the problem, and called on the Canadian government properly
to recognize the Innu's rights over their land. But little has changed on the
ground.
At the other end of the continent in Brazil, the Guarani Indians are living
through a similar tragedy. There, over 300 Indians have killed themselves since
1986, including 26 children under the age of 14. The tribe has been robbed of
almost all its land.
Stephen Corry, Survival's Director, said today, 'Responsibility for
years of Innu suicides rests squarely with Canada's government. There is no
doubt whatsoever that its denial of Innu rights is destroying the people. The
Indians know this only too well. They also know that if white children were
hanging themselves, rather than Indians, the government would act immediately.
Canada's attitude remains deeply colonialist, even racist. The recent suicides
sound an alarm that it's time for change, but Canada remains tragically
deaf.'
See Related Material (on the right) to download the Survival report, 'Canada's Tibet' in pdf format, or visit our shop.
Photos and footage available.
For more information contact Miriam Ross on
(+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or email mr@survival-international.org
