In honour of World Suicide Prevention Day 2011, we are releasing our new documentary “Support” which is about the amazing youth hip hop program in the Baffin Island community of Clyde River.
The 15-minute video was produced through a partnership between NAHO’s Honouring Life Network and the Ilisaqsivik Society in Clyde River on Baffin Island. The video was shot by a local group of youth and features a community program which inspires youth by combining hip hop dancing with hope.
The film details the creation of the program which was instigated through bringing the renowned Ottawa hip hop dance team Blue Print for Life to the small community. Inuit youth from across the north came to the workshop and found more than they bargained for. The video details how through hip hop dancing, the youth gained a greater sense of confidence, self-worth and thus hope for their future.
“NAHO is very excited about the release of “Support” in connection with World Suicide Prevention Day,” says Simon Brascoupé, Acting CEO of NAHO. “When a suicide happens it affects everyone. This video is a tribute to the spirit of Inuit youth and their communities.”
To view the videos, visit these links:
“Support” – positive Inuit youth programming in Clyde River, Baffin Island (English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1RMVRwrxmw
“Support” – positive Inuit youth programming in Clyde River, Baffin Island (Inuktitut)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obfS8SKEsPc
Youth Messages from the Ilisaqsivik Centre in Clyde River
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q81BlD0OMcw
“The Clyde River video shows how creative and expressive youth can be. Music and dance can do a lot to lift our spirits, and each of us has that spark within us. We can celebrate life in so many ways,” says Dianne Kinnon, Director of the Inuit Tuttarvingat at NAHO.
NAHO is pleased to present this video in connection with World Suicide Prevention Day because it believes this video, offered by a group of committed and compassionate people, can make a world of difference in the lives of Inuit youth.
Blue Print for Life operates hip hop programs throughout Canada’s north and in Canada’s inner cities. Often Blueprint becomes the school curriculum for the entire week in at risk communities. Blue Print for Life believes that people make changes in their lives based on the relationships they have with others and how they see themselves fitting into the world. To visit their website, click here: http://www.blueprintforlife.ca/
The Honouring Life Network is a project of NAHO. The Web site (http://www.honouringlife.ca/site) offers culturally relevant information and resources on suicide prevention to help Aboriginal youth and youth workers deal with the challenges that face some First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in Canada.
NAHO’s mandate is to help improve and promote Aboriginal health through knowledge-based activities with particular emphasis on traditional health and healing; health research and health information; and policy, capacity building and public education.
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For media inquiries, contact:
Joshua Peters, Senior Communications Officer
National Aboriginal Health Organization
Tel: (613) 237-9462 ext. 559 / Toll Free: 1-877-602-4445 ext. 559
Cell: (613) 863-9001 / E-mail: jpeters@naho.ca